The Hourglass
by TheUltimateCokeBear
Summary: AU In 1992 Richard Grayson vanished without a trace, the only witness his best friend Kori. Twelve years later, she visits the same spot and comes across something that will uncover the mystery of his disappearance. [RichKor minor GarRae, VicKar]
1. Prologue: Trees and Tumbling

**The Hourglass**

Prologue: A Tale of Disaster

April 17, 1992

_"Richard! Give it back!" A small boy's laugh followed this exclamation. The time was around seven, when the sun had gone down and everything was turning a dark inky blue, the same shade as Rachel's eyes. The foliage of the trees cast spotted patterns on the ground, looking the coat of a jaguar. The grass was a bit dewy, but the little boy running kept his footing, not once slipping. He looked over his shoulder and let out another peal of laughter. He grinned at the small, very frustrated girl behind him._

_"C'mon Kor, you'll have to be faster than that to catch me!" The little boy's messy mop of black hair was becoming more unruly every second he insisted on eluding his best friend. He looked to be about four, and had recently had his birthday. Kori wasn't far behind, both in birthday time and in distance. The boy she was chasing was obviously Richard. His sapphire eyes glittered in the soft, fading light of nightfall. He glanced over his shoulder to see how close Kori was to catching him._

_His best friend, male or female, was Kori Anders. He could see her jade eyes reflecting the light, and how determined she was to get back what he had taken. Her mother and father were Myan and Luan Anders, foreign royalty from the small county of Tamaran. They had left because of the small battles that were sure to turn into a war with Gordania, the neighboring country. But they had left it in good care of Kori and Komi's old nanny, Galfore. Her sister, Komi, was seven and didn't always treat Kori kindly. Kori had a feeling that it had something to do with the fact that Komi was born with weak legs and could not run as fast as Kori. A little petty, but Komi found it reason enough to sub her sister on numerous occasions because track was a popular sport in Tamaran; anyone who could not run well was considered a cripple. But Kori still tried to be kind to her, and also loved her little bother Ryan dearly. He looked like her and her parents, with red hair and bright green eyes. Komi hadn't looked like her parents, with dark indigo eyes and long black hair the same style as Kori's. Perhaps another reason for her to be a bit rebellious. Kori's flaming red hair, currently flowing freely behind her, had earned her the nickname 'Star' from Richard. Gar and Victor, his two best guy friends, had called it a pet name and began singing the song that all crushers hate._

"_Richard and Kori, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-" but they got no farther that day for two reasons; one, Garfield (which was something he detested being called) was a year younger than Richard, and two years younger than Victor, the same age as Kori's best girlfriend Rachel. Therefore, he hadn't learned his whole alphabet or the whole song. _

_Garfield Logan, only three years old, had lived in Africa until his zoologist parents died in a boating accident there when he was ten months old. Then, after some trouble with his greedy Uncle Galtry, was adopted by Steve and Rita Dayton. Being only about one year old at the time, he accepted them easily but still used the last name he had heard all his young life. He had been horrified to learn that animals were meat and became a little vegan right then and there. He loved animals and the color green. Right now his brown hair was a spiked as it could be, given how short it was. His eyes were a forest green that rivaled Kori's, but his hair had a little green finger paint frosting the top after he had touched his spikes for the fifteenth time that day. At least he thought it was cool. Rita thought he was adorable, but at times Steve thought Gar should listen better. This was said because Gar was a cute little boy who just happened to love pranks, practical jokes and a small selection of corny jokes that annoyed Rachel to no end._

_Rachel Roth was the polar opposite of Gar, with pale skin that was a great contrast to his tan from playing outside all the time. Her hair was a dark black, almost blue or violet in color. Her eyes were a deep blue that looked purple in the right light. Raven was much smarter than any other child, being very quiet and with a voracious appetite for reading. Right now she had read a little under half of the children's books at the library. And to think; she's only three. When she was younger, she had heard a reading of 'The Raven' on the radio and had spent a month saying nothing but 'nevermore'. After that her mother had affectionately called her Raven. Her mother was Angela Roth, and living with just Rachel. Trigon Ddrez had left Angela and Rachel behind a little under a little ago, which was why they had moved to Jump City and met the Graysons, the Anders, the Daytons, and the Stones._

_Victor Stone, the oldest of the gang since he was five, had chocolate colored skin and friendly brown eyes. Gar, Richard and he would constantly be tussling or playing around. His mother and father, Silas and Elinore Stone, were researchers at S.T.A.R. Labs. Victor was an amazing athlete with an equally amazing intellect. His father was encouraging Vic towards a scientific career, but the boy was only in kindergarten; he would rather play with crayons than chemicals. Although he was like a big brother to everyone, he and Gar had small squabbles about meat and tofu, and trying to force the other to eat their food of choice. Vic was what you would call a small carnivore. He was also quite strong, and would often wrestle with Richard to see who was the strongest. Richard, although smaller, was learning tae-kwon-do and other martial arts at the same gym where his parents were working, making him a formidable opponent. He had tackled Victor before he could finish the song about Kori and him sitting in a tree._

_Richard was in good physical condition because, in addition to the lessons in martial arts, his parents were retired circus performers now teaching gymnastics at the local gym. Richard always tagged along, begging his father to teach him how to be an acrobat; a real Flying Grayson. So John did, and Richard was a better acrobat than some people twice his age. Mary had called him Robin on occasion, since his birthday was the first of spring. His parents sometimes put on little skits from their old routine for the people if asked, and Richard watched with pride and awe as his parents soared on the small trapeze-like setup at the gym. But enough about that, back to the chase._

_Richard sprinted as fast as he could through the maze of trees, trying to keep up the game as long as possible. The name of the game was 'Keep-Away'. Having 'yoinked', (a word of Gar's that he used to insist that it was legally stolen, and one of the only words he knew), her silver heart shaped locket with the pictures in it he darted into the forest. Once Kori realized what had been taken, she rushed in after him, despite the protests of both of their mothers. That brings us up to the present._

_He giggled and swerved around a large pine, turning left into a circle of trees. The ring surrounded him, except for on the left. A small stream, although very wide, was there and his only means of escaping. But right now, Richard's small attention span had focused on a tree directly ahead of him, alone in the center. He was so interested, when Kori made it into the circle, panting, he didn't even turn around. She marched up to him and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around and startling him._

"_Richard, please return my necklace!" Her hand was held out expectantly, large green eyes watching him innocently. She watched curiously as he took her hand and led her back the tree, pointing at something with the locket still tightly grasped in his hand. Richard leaned closer to her ear to whisper something, like the tree could actually hear them speak about it._

"_Hey Kori, see that thing?" His pointer finger was set straight ahead. Kori squinted a little, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. She gasped softly._

"…_It looks like-"_

"_An hourglass? Yeah, how cool is that?" He let go of her wrist and took a few steps forward, mesmerized. Kori's bottle green eyes flicked around, from the tree to Richard to the now-dark sky. She made a little whimpering sound; Kori hated the dark. She stood in her spot, shivering from a chilly breeze that seemed to come out of nowhere. She looked back at Richard, who was still advancing to the tree._

"_Richard? Please, it is dark, and I believe that our parents will be worried if we do not return soon." She had a very sophisticated vocabulary for a four-year-old. Richard waved his hand over his shoulder like waving off her question; the sliver locket swung back and forth, catching glints of moonlight. He had reached the tree and was now inspecting it closely._

"_Yeah, yeah, in a second Star." The nickname reassured her a little, but she still fidgeted in place. His hands were running over the part of the trunk with the carving in it. The locket dangled from his hand and kept sticking in the little grooves that made up the hourglass. Getting fed up with it, he unclasped it and put it around his neck, tucking it his red shirt to keep it from bumping the tree anymore. "Wow Kori, look at this, it amaze-" he was cut off again as there was a rumble in the tree, making his hands vibrate. The smooth grooves filled with blue light, like someone was pouring water into in from behind the tree. _

_He stumbled back, tripping over a loose root and falling sideways. He came to a stop, perched precariously at the edge of the bank. His bright blue eyes widened and his hands flailed around, trying to catch his balance as he had so often done on the balance beams. But the chilly wind had picked up, blowing him off balance and farther towards the stream. What had once looked so peaceful was now a frothy mess, steely gray waters foaming up like a rabid animals mouth. Kori bent down to keep from being blown over to the bank and grabbed a root that was sticking out of the ground. Her hair was flailing around her face, making it hard to see the terrified expression on her face. She screamed, frightened out of her wits._

"_Richard!" It was hard to hear her over the din the wind was making, but he reached out his hand to try and grab something, anything._

_Big mistake._

_Gravity finally won the battle, pulling Richard over the edge and into the raging waters. He tried to call for help._

"_KORI!" _

_His best friend screamed shrilly again in response. Tears were streaming down her face, being too young to know what to do. There were no adults around to help; everyone was still talking at Richard's house on the porch, talking and having a good time. How she wished they were there._

_Richard lashed his arms around, trying to stay afloat. He bobbed up and down, trying to fight the forces sucking him down. What he saw continued to switch between swirling waters and the tree grove, with Kori as a redheaded blot. The water stung his eyes and he tried to take in a breath of air before becoming completely submerged. The waters grabbed him and threw him around like a rag doll. He was tossed back and forth, his head banging against a rock and making his vision begin to become black around the edges. The winds began to die down, leaving a teary little girl by the edge of the bank, peering over and trying to make out her best friend, lost in the waters. The last thing he heard before going completely under the water was Kori's helpless cry._

"_RICHARD!"_

_After that, he was pulled under and everything faded to black._

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans, 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe, or Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney. I don't feel like writing that I don't own her book or half the plot, so this goes for all chapters, past present and future.

**Authoress' Note: **Yeah, I know I should be working on Predator and Prey, but this was an awesome idea I got during U.S. History while spacing out. And yeah, this is based off the idea in Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney, which I'm reading right now. This is just like my own Teen Titans version of it; I'm don't own the idea of someone falling into time. So I only own half the plot, if that makes sense. If you read the book, you can tell which is part of her ideas and which is mine. They're alike, but different. It's really hard to explain. XD Anyways, yeah.

This was a little shorter until I added the little biographies. I tried to make them seem a little realistic and compromised their comic histories and names and dates and all that jazz with this version I made up. See if you can spot the little things I put in there.

I'm about half done with the next chapter of P&P, but this seems more interesting of an idea. For some reason I feel like writing action, don't know why. I guess it's a good day for writing; we had FCAT Writes. Why can't we write fiction instead of persuasive or expository?! And I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little short; I wish I could make it longer but that's stuff for next chapter. With all that said and done, please please please review! (It'd make me happy and update quicker! Such a briber I am. Hee hee.)

- Christine


	2. Chapter 1: Dates and Drowning

**The Hourglass**

Chapter One: How Things Have Changed

April 17, 2004 

_After standing shell-shocked for a minute at the abrupt disappearance of her best friend Kori had run as fast as her little legs could take her, which was pretty fast. She had tugged on pant legs and shirtsleeves to get attention from the adults, pointing frantically and yelling that Richard had fallen into the stream and she couldn't find him. Everyone had rushed out immediately to find the missing Grayson._

"Kori."

_The adults had come back after a few minutes to regroup and send out search parties along the bank. He couldn't have gone far, even if he had lost consciousness and was floating along limply somewhere. The parents combed both sides of the strange stream, but with no success._

"Kori."

_Richard was gone without a trace._

"Kori!" The girl in question started and looked around at all the expectant people around her. Her green eyes landed on her friend Rachel, who had been the one calling her name in the first place.

"Huh?" The other teenagers on the stage and behind the curtains laughed, a wave passing through the crowd. She turned pink and her drama teacher, Ms Rouge, put her hand to her forehead in exasperation.

"Kori Anders, please stop daydreaming and pay attention. We have but a month and a half to polish this play and we still haven't found anyone to play the Beast!" Kori nodded and looked back at the large stage.

The school's play this year was going to be _Beauty and the Beast_. Kori had gotten the part of Belle, not only because she said the parts well but also because she had a lovely singing voice. It was going to be a musical, with all the original songs from the Disney movie. After much pleading and begging, Kori had gotten Rachel onto the stage. Once she broke away from her ever-present monotone, she had been chosen as the singing voice for Mrs. Potts since the girl cast as the talking teapot insisted that she couldn't sing in the silly costume. Raven was allowed to back to her normal flat voice for her role as the narrator.

Raven's boyfriend Gar, being an animal lover and landing him the nickname 'Beast Boy' in fourth grade, had been filling in for whoever was to play the Beast. His hair was still spiked at the top like a porcupine and he got away with a light green dusting on top by telling the principal that it was for his costume. This was a lie of course. The real costume was heavy and a bit hot, due to the larger-than-normal mask. And Gar was already Lumiere, so he didn't really want to be the Beast and kiss Kori since she was his friend and nothing more. 'It'd be like kissing my sister!' was his protest when Ms Rouge had approached him with the idea. Luckily, there were many boys willing to try out for the role that got to kiss Kori. Unluckily, the drama teacher had deemed them unfit to play Beast, claming that they didn't have the right attitude.

Kori sighed as Ms Rouge began to chew out Victor for the spotlights being off. By an inch. Since Victor had been in an accident when visiting his parents at the labs, his left leg was prosthetic. He hid it by wearing jeans all the time, still doing well in sports. He didn't want the coaches to give him special disadvantages because of it, and was a bit angry with his father for getting him into the whole situation in the first place. However, he had learned a lot of mechanical and technological know-how from his dad, and was in charge of all the effects in the play. When Kori had asked if he was okay with working backstage, he had just laughed and reassured her that he 'didn't mind working behind the scenes. I'm not much of an actor.'

Xavier Redding was a very good actor on the other hand, snagging the part of Gaston, another boy known as Fang playing Lefou. He had brown hair that fell into his gray eyes made almost any girl melt, coupled with his somewhat 'bad boy' attitude. Kori didn't fall for him, even though she was friends with him. Rachel had introduced him to her when he had moved to Jump City in second grade. Kori had befriended him easily, and over the years Xavier had been thinking about asking her out. While Xavier was nice, he didn't fill the hole left by Richard's sudden disappearance. Kori had continued to think about Richard all her life, even though she hadn't seen him in twelve years. Which was exactly what she was doing right now.

He would have just turned seventeen a little while ago. He'd be taller, but his hair would still be a rumpled black mess, bright blue eyes glinting under his bangs. Broader shoulders, more muscular physique… Kori sighed dreamily. Ms Rouge snapped her out of it with a sharp yell.

"Miss Anders! If you continue to daydream during rehearsal I shall remove you from this play!" Kori shook her head vehemently, her ruby hair swinging around and hitting her face. Xavier leaned against a prop doorframe and chuckled quietly.

"I'm sorry Ms Rouge, it won't happen again; I promise!" She twisted her hands together nervously and bit her lip. Rachel rolled her eyes and came out from behind the curtains and tugged on Kori's elbow to pull her away. Kori looked at her, confused, while Rachel signaled to the teacher.

"One moment please." She dragged her best friend backstage and sighed quietly while Kori peeked back out at the rehearsal of Gaston's song. Every year, on the anniversary of Richard's vanishing, Kori would seem a little out of it. The three friends had deduced that she missed Richard more than she let on; the two had been almost inseparable. Vic had said that it was a pity that Richard was gone before he could tell Kori that he had felt more than friendship for her. Of course, back then they were little kids who still believed in cooties. This was assuming Richard _did _like her that way. Anyways, point is, Rachel had noticed how lonely Kori seemed and had made it a tradition that Kori slept over with the rest of the little 'family' at her house. This kept Kori's mind off Richard, or so Rachel thought. Perhaps Richard wasn't the only one with a crush…

The redhead winced as Ms Rouge began to bark at Fang's off-again-on-again girlfriend, self-proclaimed Kitten, for being off tempo with the other villagers. She had tried out for Belle as well, but Kori had been better. For this, Kitten had resented Kori and was quite rude to her. But then again, she was rude to almost everyone. Kori tuned out the yelling and looked at Rachel with a curious look on her face.

"What did you want Rachel?" The girl snapped back to reality and thought of what she could say. She had, being a girl, figured out how Kori felt about Richard and could tell that Kori was thinking about him again.

"Oh, um, just wanted to see if we were still on for tonight." She had been caught a little off guard. Kori, being the innocent girl she was, nodded and smiled.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh, no reason. Just checking," mumbled Rachel. Kori nodded, her mind drifting again when she noticed something amiss about Rachel.

Rachel was wearing plain jeans that covered her black sneakers. She worn a simple black shirt with white, ragged words that read 'I'm only wearing black until they come up with something darker.' Rachel was sometimes mistaken for a Goth, which was completely wrong; she just liked the dark colors and was more mature than half the schools population. Her dark hair was loosed around her shoulders, although Kori could've sworn it was in a ponytail a half hour ago. Kori squinted a little at something on Rachel's neck.

"… Rachel, is that a hic-" Fortunately for her friend, Kori was cut off when Ms Rouge began to nag Garfield about his long 'break'. The strangest thing; he had come out of the ajar closet looking very disheveled. As Rachel hurriedly pushed her onto the stage, the redhead realized what had happened and giggled silently to herself for the rest of the rehearsal.

------x------

"Alright everyone, I think that's enough for today." The drama teacher clapped her hands together decisively. "Now remember, you will have to speak loud, as there are 'special' actors-" Kori snuck a glance at Garfield and laughed quietly. He caught her looking at him and grinned at her.

"Don't give me that look Kori." Now her snickers were audible and the teacher glanced at her before continuing her long-winded spiel.

Once Ms Rouge announced that practice was over, there was a collective sigh. She frowned and said if they felt that way, then maybe she should have them stay a little longer. After that, everyone cleared out quickly. Kori had agreed to meet everyone at Rachel's house; she just had to stop by her own to pick some stuff up, among a few other errands.

She reached her own car after waving good-bye to her friends. Her car was a small, white, compact car and suited her needs just fine. Kori slung the backpack over one shoulder and began to root through it for her keys that always seemed to sink to the bottom. The lavender hoodie she had on was pulled up and little and she groaned, frustrated.

Kori was not happy with her choice of shirts today. Not happy at all. Her favorite purple tank top had been shrunk in the wash, the same week that it had been Komi's turn to do the laundry. Anyways, it had become a belly shirt and the only wearable shirt that day. So she had thrown it on and pulled her hoodie over that, but Kori hadn't worn it in a while and found out later that it was from the sixth grade. Every time she raised her hand or arms, the hoodie would lift up and expose some of the golden skin on her curvy sides. All day she had been constantly pulling it down over her purple miniskirt. Although, it was modest compared to some other people's, people who's name starts with 'K' and ends with 'itten.' Finally getting the keys, she reached down to pick up the books she had put down by her white tennis shoes with purple streaks on the sides. As you can tell, she loved purple.

"Aha!" She let out a small cry of triumph and pulled the key out of her bag with a flourish. Juggling her books in one hand, she used the other to push the key in the lock. She was caught unaware when Xavier came up behind her to relieve her of her books. She smiled at him gratefully once the door lock clicked open. "Thanks Xavier."

"No problem. Least I could do for a pretty girl like you." Kori just turned to grab her books off the car roof when Xavier had laid them, still smiling faintly. She cradled them in her arms in the classic schoolgirl position and looked at him.

"That's very nice, but I'm sure helping me with my books isn't the only reason you came over here." He put his hands up in defense, grinning slightly.

"Alright, okay, so I didn't." He took a breath and let it out, leaning on the car and staring at her intently. "I just came over to see if you wanted to go out sometime… Like, maybe tonight?" His gray eyes searched her face for her reaction.

Kori inhaled sharply, taken back. Did she want to go out with him? Kori didn't exactly feel that way about him, but she didn't want to flat-out turn him down. She bit her lip and looked at all the cars leaving, then back at Xavier. One little date didn't mean anything, right? It didn't mean that you were officially going steady, did it? She wanted someone who she absolutely couldn't live without; someone who would rob her of her breath and make her heart beat around wildly in her chest. So far, she hadn't met that one person.

"Well?" She was jerked out of her musings by the teenager's prompt. He looked a little unsure. "If you don't want to, that's fine, I could just–" Kori cut him off.

"No, it's fine. I'd love too." Okay, stretching the truth wasn't like lying, was it? Xavier smiled again.

"Great. How about tonight?" She looked away.

"I'm sorry; I told Rachel that I would spend the night at her house tonight. Would you mind Saturday?" That was tomorrow, and she could use some input from Rachel. Xavier nodded and inclined his head with intent to kiss her.

Now, there was something Kori did that all boys at school called 'The Cheek.' Whenever a boy tried to kiss her, she'd turn her head just in time so that they kissed her cheek instead. She was saving her first kiss for someone truly special, and that was why turning her head to the left was something that came naturally to her whenever a boy got too close to her face. So Xavier ended up giving her a kiss on the cheek that was intended for her lips. Kori giggled a bit uneasily moved back a little.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll swing by around seven. See you later Kori." He walked off, and Kori hoped she hadn't made him mad by refusing his kiss. Politely, but refusing him all the same. She just wanted the date to get over with and find someone she really knew she loved. Kori sighed and leaned against the car door with her books pressed up to her chest.

"X'hal…"

What had she gotten herself into?

------x------

Parking the car, Kori pulled out the key to cut the engine. She slammed the door and leaned on the car for support, looking out at the scenery before her. The same forest that had housed the secrets of Richard's sudden 'departure.' Sadly, she sighed and looked behind her at Richard's house behind her. Perhaps it was best he was gone; the Graysons had died when Richard would have been eight and Kori didn't know how Richard would've taken that. It was just a series of unfortunate events, being in the wrong place at the right time.

A man named Tony Zucco, or Boss Zucco, had been posing as a taxman who had been 'collecting' money from Haly's Gym where Mary and John had worked. He'd actually been extorting the money, and the owner had gotten suspicious. She had asked to see his credentials but Zucco had refused, warning that if she prodded any farther into his personal business something bad would happen. Well, she hadn't heeded his warning, calling the cops. Once one of his stoolies heard that the police were coming, they told Zucco. Angry and wanting revenge, he loosened the screws on all the trapeze equipment so that the next person to use them would have a tragic 'accident', making the surviving family sue. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way.

The Graysons had never really recovered from the loss of their only son, and tried to keep a chin up. But they couldn't help the lapses of crying every now and then. They had been asked, the same day Boss Zucco had tampered with the ropes and such, to give a small performance for Stephanie Brown's birthday. She was one of their students and the girlfriend of one of their favorite pupils, Tim Drake. At times, Mary would comment that he reminded her of Richard, were he still with them. At that point she would begin sniffing and excuse herself. Anyways, Tim had asked them to do it as sort of a gift to his girlfriend. They had happily agreed, and were executing one of their most difficult stunts; one that took place above the hard wood floor instead of over the pit filled with foam blocks because they needed the taller and longer rings set up there. Once they started, gravity took hold of the ropes and the remaining Graysons had fallen to their deaths. Remembering when the paramedics had called her house and told her the crushing news always made her eyes tear up. And Tim…

Poor Tim had blamed himself for their deaths, as it was him who had asked them to do the stunt in the first place. Everyone felt guilt; the manager for provoking Boss Zucco, Stephanie for the fact that they had died doing the stunt that was a gift for her birthday. Even the cops had apologized for not catching Zucco.

Sniffing quietly, Kori brushed her cheeks with the back of her hand. Behind her was the Grayson's old house, aged and looking worse for the wear. The paint was peeling from the sides, and the large wraparound porch sagged with termite-ridden broken boards. Shingles were missing from the roof, and it could use a good amount of elbow grease and work to restore it to its former glory. The redhead sighed and slipped her house key over her neck, held there by a thin chain. Steeling herself to what she was about to do, Kori pushed herself off the car and walked into the entrance between the trees.

As Kori walked, the key caught the fading rays of the sun. It glinted and made her squint to look. A memory lanced through her mind as the light made the key shine, like the moon had done to her locket so many years ago.

"_Yeah, yeah, in a second Star."_

She continued to walk, shivering more as voices from the past drifted in and out of her mind.

"_Mommy! Mommy! The water took Richard!"_

Her sneaker-clad feet flattened the dewy grass. It muffled her footsteps, and every now and then she'd come across something lost during the mad search, be it a battery or a coin.

"_Richard! Richard, where are you? This isn't funny young man!"_

The sounds of the deceiving stream reached her ears, and she stood out on the bank. It was shallow, lapping at the tops of her shoes. How did the four year old disappear in the lazy current?

"_I'm sorry… We can't find him anywhere. We've looked all over the banks. He's gone."_

Kori closed her eyes and turned abruptly around. Her hair swished back and she stared sadly at the grove of trees where their last conversation had taken place. Had she known he was going to vanish, she would have done things differently.

"_NO! I know what I saw! The water took Richard! He's not gone! He can't be!"_

She did know what she saw. In fact, she was still convinced that Richard hadn't died from being lost in the stream. But after that… She didn't know what had happened. Kori desperately wanted to know if he was still alive somehow, or if he had died and could let everyone stop worrying.

"_I'm sorry Kori. Richard is gone; he drowned."_

But they had never found a body, and that small flame of hope that somewhere out there, Richard was alive and doing well. Imprints of her steps led up to the tree in the middle; the one that had glowed. Kori was positive it had.

"_He didn't, I saw him fall! You're lying!"_

Her large emerald eyes brimmed with tears and Kori ducked her head, her red bangs falling to cut her off from the rest of the world. The tree stood in front of her, the odd carving still there. It was the only tangible thing in little Kori's testimony. Stepping closer to the trunk, she placed her shaky hands on it.

The carving had stayed the same over the years; in fact, the whole thing had stayed the same. A few tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. Sniffing, Kori ran her hand over the strange engraving, letting her fingers trace the grooves. Her necklace jingled and kept catching in the niches. An unusually strong breeze blew her hair over her face, making the crimson strands stick to the wet tear tracks. She frowned. Where had the wind come from?

The sun was still setting and everything was getting darker. Kori knew she would have to hustle to get to Rachel's house on time. The girl heaved a sad sigh and pushed herself up, the necklace continuing to become ensnared on the bark, right in the middle of the hourglass. Swearing quietly in her native language, she pulled it free and stood up. Looking around, it occurred to her that something didn't feel right.

Well, for starters, the wind was blowing at about fifty miles an hour and the tree trunk was gleaming again. Yeah, that was a bit strange.

Kori let out a frightened squeak and tried to move to grab something, but the wind guided her back to the edge of the water. Her eyes widened and she screamed, recollections of Richard's falling into the stream flashing though her minds eye like lightening and almost giving her a headache. Groaning, Kori tried to fight the wind and wishing for something to hold on to. No such luck.

The wind finally won the battle and shoved her over the edge and into the now-roiling river. As she thrashed and attempted to stay above the waves that tugged on her body and brought her farther down, a hazy thought crossed her waterlogged brain.

'Since when has it been this deep?' It was true; when standing above earlier, Kori had been able to see the sandy bottom and make out a few tiny fish swimming around. Now there were no fish, and the bottom that looked like it was a mile away was shimmering bright white. Her thoughts were oxygen-deprived, but she knew this wasn't normal. 'Am I dying? Is this what Richard saw before he died?'

Now totally underwater, Kori let the currents drag her farther under. It seemed like a cross between a whirlpool and a tunnel, and through her half-opened eyes images on the sides registered. People, it looked like. One heavily distorted scene played out before her quickly: A young child being beaten by a larger man that had an aura of creepy happiness radiating from him. The image stilled with the boy curled on the ground and the man's hand raised up to deliver a final blow. Suddenly, the blurry people on the side faded into silhouettes. Turing a deep black, they were taken away by the water on the sides.

Kori's vision did the same, her lungs crying for air. Her eyes squeezed shut as she passed through the white tunnel. She knew she would be unawake by the time she reached the surface. Letting her body go limp, Kori hoped that whoever found her floating in the lake would be kind enough to pull her out and _not_ let her drown.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans (what fun I'd have if I did… xD) or _Beauty and the Beast_. This story is very loosely based off Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney, which I don't own, past present or future. 

**Thanks to those who reviewed: **Tuskikage1213, naniya27, Agent of the Divine One, fluffbuff, and golfprincess. Thanks a lot:D

**Authoress' Note: **-smacks self- I cannot believe I just did that. I totally used the boring name for Red X! ;; Eh well, I'll try to keep Kitten from the dreadful 'stalker-crush-on-Robin' stereotype. That's not _really _what she is. For the most part. xD I'm going to attempt to keep out some things that are normally found in TT high school stories. I hope X didn't seem too wimpy, but he hasn't had any competition for Kori yet.

Why _Beauty and the Beast_? 'Cause I didn't feel like making it _Romeo and Juliet_ or something else that's been overused. I think it's fits them pretty well. n.n I think Kori should be a good singer because of Starfire's little solo part in the theme song at the end of Trouble in Tokyo. And that part where Kori looked at Gar with the 'special players', that was actually something that happened between Tyler and me in band. Gar's line is exactly what Tyler said. …Yeah, I know it's kinda stupid, but whatever. xD

I like how this chapter turned out; rewriting a modern version of Robin's past was fun. Notice the other Robin cameos? ;D It's funny, sometimes I look over some portion of something I wrote, and I'm like, 'Dude, I wrote that? It seems better than anything I could come up with.'

For the record, I hate the title of this chapter. It majorly sucks, I know. I've changed it about three times now, before posting this. I like the title of the other one better.D And I'm in a really good mood right now; we had a Valentine's Day Dance at my school on Friday, and the kind and queen were both the nominees from my team! So, I'm super happy. It was awesome and I had tons of fun, considering that it's the first time I've gone to one. I crashed last night, but it was uber cool. Anyways, enough of my boring personal life. xD Review please!

**Up next chapter:** We find out what happened to Richard, and what had been told to him. How has our favorite bird been doing these last twelve years?

Until the next update, which should be soon,

- Christine


	3. Chapter 2: Insanity and Impossibility

**The Hourglass **

Chapter Two: Whatever Happened To Richard?

April 17, 1904

Bruce Wayne lowered his paper to look at the other occupant of the table for breakfast. His seventeen-year-old son Richard sat across from him, silently eating a quick breakfast of toast. Richard, feeling eyes upon him, flicked his eyes up from his food and quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" Bruce shook his head and shook his paper back up.

"Nothing." Richard shrugged and continued eating. Bruce was used to this; Richard, while he obeyed the rules about two-thirds of the time, had certain moments where he would show quirks that weren't exactly… normal. No one else had seen or heard them before and had no idea where he got them. Bruce though that they came from wherever Richard had been when he was young. It was hard to believe that the two weren't related. They looked uncannily alike in some ways.

Richard was a normal sized teenager, averaging about five feet, seven inches, but was still a tiny bit shorter than Bruce. His azure eyes were visible behind his bangs, which weren't as short as others. His jet black hair was in a slightly different style from the other boys; he insisted that no one cut it when it grew down to touch the back of his neck, letting his bangs just lie on his forehead. People always said he looked like Bruce.

Bruce had steely blue eyes, a mixture of steel gray and blue. His hair was black as well, but he kept it trimmed, combing it over to the side neatly like all the other men. Unlike the other men, his face was always clean-shaven and devoid of any mustaches. Although they seemed popular right now, neither Bruce nor Richard found it interesting.

Richard stood up and pushed back the chair. Picking up the plate, he walked back towards the kitchen. Even though their faithful butler Alfred was perfectly willing to take it, Richard had never felt comfortable with letting someone else do his work for him. He walked to the door and looked back at Bruce.

"I'll be back in a little while, okay?"

"Fine, but don't go too far. The Gordons might be coming over soon." Richard nodded and walked down the hall, grabbing his previously discarded suit jacket off the chair on the way. Once the door slammed closed, Bruce dropped his head into the palm of his hand. Alfred came out with a tray in hand, ready to clear the table of the remnants of breakfast. Upon seeing Bruce like this, he walked a bit closer and began cleaning from that side of the table. Bruce lifted his face out of his hand and looked wearily at Alfred.

"Amazing how much he looks like Jason, isn't it?" The butler saw Bruce's rueful smile and retuned it with his own small, sad one.

"Yes, it is. It's quite a miracle that you found him." Bruce sighed and just nodded. He remembered it like it was yesterday…

April 17, 1892 

_Multiple men ran in and out of Wayne Manor. All the houselights were on, making it visible from miles away. Inside, much of the hustle and bustle took place around a room._

_Jason's room, to be exact._

_The candles on the nightstands flickered as the three best doctors in Gotham moved around, gathering rags and swabs, needles and antiseptics. The corners were dark, but the middle of the room was bathed in a golden glow. In the middle of the room lay the patient, Jason Wayne._

_He had gone out for a while into the small forest near the empty fields and hadn't returned for three days. He had just reappeared this evening on the doorstep, bruised, beaten, and bloody. His cuts were all over, on his face, his arms, his back. The crimson liquid seeped through his torn clothing, and black and blue bruises were visible all over his small body. Long bloody welts on his tender back indicated that he had been whipped repeatedly. His disheveled black hair had covered up the crusted blood on his forehead and all over his innocent face. The four-year-old had been attacked to within an inch of his life, and the doctors weren't sure if he could hold on much longer. He had lost a lot of blood on the steps before Alfred had found him._

_Bruce was standing to the side, his face void of any expression. Jason was all he had left, his wife Talia having died in childbirth. Alfred had been delivering supplies for the doctors back and forth, but when he saw Bruce standing there his heart went out to the man. He didn't think that Bruce would take the news of Jason's impeding death very well. He hurried out of the room as a doctor approached Bruce._

_The medical doctor approached the philanthropist with a somber expression and told him in a low voice that Jason wasn't going to make it through the night. He was surprised at how controlled the man seemed, asking calmly how much time his son had left, like he was asking for the special of the day at a restaurant. The shocked doctor had stammered, "A-about a half hour sir." Bruce nodded and walked over to his young son. The other surgeons had stopped working, knowing there was nothing they could do to keep the boy alive and moved out of the room to give Mr. Wayne some final time with his son._

_Bruce noticed Jason stirring and groaning through gritted teeth. He held the small hand that had bloodstains seeping though the white linen, hurting inside for the poor child. Jason opened his eyes halfway and looked at Bruce lazily._

"_Daddy?" he whispered, voice hoarse. Only the ragged breathing of the boy broke the small silence. Bruce nodded and squeezed the hand gently._

"_Yes, it's me." The older man felt the back of his eyes prick and pushed the feeling away to concentrate on his son. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Jason coughed and a few red blotches were added to his chin._

"_I don't know. I was playing, and a happy man came and asked me if I'd play with him." Here Jason had to pause to catch his breath and Bruce broke in._

"_How could you go off with a stranger? When you're better, we're going to-" The unusually perceptive child cut him off._

"_I heard… them talking. I'm going to die… aren't I?" He now had to stop every few seconds to take deep, labored breaths. Bruce's eyes felt wet and he pulled Jason into a tight hug._

"_Yes. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry." Jason weakly put his frail arms around his father, feeling warm drops on his head. He closed his own eyes and rested his head on the strong chest._

"_I'm… sorry Daddy. Don't… cry. I love you." Bruce wept silently, unaware that Jason's blood was now spreading over his own clothes. He hugged him closer._

"_I love you too, don't ever forget that. I'm not angry at you, not at all." Jason's breath had gradually become shallow and Bruce felt the child's grip becoming much looser._

"_Okay… that's… good." He turned shining eyes on his father. "Then… I'll… see you later." The little boy, wise beyond his years, took a final, rattling breath. Seconds later, his whole body went limp. A few tears escaped his eyes and Bruce held the body tightly, his throat working overtime to keep from breaking down. The doctors came in and carefully pulled the father away from his dead son._

_Standing up, Bruce exited without another word. As he walked by all the people waiting for the outcome, they noticed that he seemed to be acting like there was no one around him; like he didn't see the other people. Once Bruce got outside, he began to stride towards the forest Jason had mentioned. There was a large empty field behind it, which he took no notice of; that was where Jason had played ball with him._

_His pace steadily gained speed, and after about thirty seconds he was running as fast as possible. He wove through the tree like they were nothing and reached a small circle of trees by a relaxing stream. Bruce walked over evenly, standing by the bank and panting. After a few seconds, he raised his face towards the sky and let out a long, anguished yell. The tears streamed down his face, subsiding slowly after a while. The stream seemed to boil slightly and Bruce rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands to dry them._

_He stood and saw something floating in the river. It was indistinguishable because of the moonlight reflecting off the water, but he could tell that it at least had hair. Was it a dead animal caught in the current? Bruce waded in a little as it drifted within reach. He put his hands under what he assumed were the arms and pulled the soaked body onto solid ground. Laying it down softly, he finally got a good look at it and gasped._

_It was a boy!_

_Breathing evenly, he looked uncannily like Jason, black hair plastered over his closed eyes and around the same age. But he was wearing strange clothes; no waistcoat, a red shirt that was missing most of the sleeves, pants that had a fourth of the leg gone, and the shoes…! They were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He touched the bottoms curiously and was shocked when they lit up and flickered red. Was that a warning not to touch the strange little boy? The lights died out after ten seconds, and the child lying down groaned. He raised his head and looked around groggily, blinking cerulean eyes that almost matched Jason's._

"_Whu… What happened?" The toddler paused to cough up some water, sitting up with the help of a bewildered Bruce. Once he was up, he reached into his shirt to grab something and pulled it out to let it dangle on his chest; a silver locket, insides kept dry by the tight seal. Turning inquisitive eyes on the only adult in the area, he asked, "What's goin' on?" Bruce's mind turned gears furiously._

"_Uh… You fell in and I pulled you out. Do you… remember… who I am?" The boy shook his head, getting drops on Bruce's new suit jacket. Bruce knew what he was about to do would not only be bad to him; it would be bad to whoever were the parents of the odd child. But he couldn't live alone, couldn't bear with Jason's death. What kind of father was he, replacing his son only hours after his death?_

"_I'm your father, Bruce. Do you still remember your own name?" The little boy looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded vigorously, making even more wet spots on the stained jacket._

"_Yep, I'm Richard. You didn't forget, did you daddy?" he teased, and Bruce laughed along with him._

'_I'm so sorry Jason; I could _never _replace you,' thought Bruce mournfully. Gathering up 'Richard' in his arms, he made his way back to the house to get him acquainted with his new home. When he reached home, he placed the small, wet little boy into his own large bed and went back to deal with Jason._

April 17, 1904

After that, it had only been a matter of convincing everyone that Jason had lived and Bruce had started calling him by his middle name, Richard. So the innocent boy had believed that he was Jason Richard Wayne, called Richard by most. Only Alfred knew the truth; that Richard had come from parts unknown and was blissfully unaware of it. The aged butler sometimes thought it wasn't a good idea, getting a feeling that Richard belonged somewhere else than here. But over the years he had grown attached to the young master and pushed those thoughts out of his head. As far as Alfred was concerned, Richard was part of the family.

------x------

At times, Richard truly thought he was going insane. For instance, his recurring dreams.

They always involved the same group, starting with the little boy with green spiked hair, (How was that even possible?!), who always bothered the equally young girl. He would tease her with a song, with a slightly older African American standing behind him, laughing as he belted out: "_I'm, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts. I'm a model, if you know what I- _OW!" The girl by now had smacked the boy upside the head with her hand, but that wasn't the part that bothered him; it was the fact that he knew the rest of the words. "_If you know what I mean, and I shake my little tush on the catwalk; on the catwalk yeah."_

Sometimes he would remember other snatches of songs and sing them quietly under his breath, like one that went, "_With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us! I feel stupid and contagious!_" He'd thoughtlessly start singing it under his breath and start when he caught himself. Richard had never even heard that style of song before, so why would he know the words to one?

The second dealt with impossibility, for it was one of his parents. But this was absurd; Bruce had told him his mother had died while giving birth. But the adults in the dream would smile kindly at him, the woman affectionately calling him her 'little Robin', and the man, who wasn't Bruce, pretending to be gruff while he taught Richard aerial stunts and tricks. This led to something else that didn't make sense. Richard could perform amazing feats of agility that he had no recollection of being taught by Bruce.

He could bend over backwards and then flip himself backwards to right his body; he could do a handstand with one hand and go into a series of complicated back flips that were part of some routine ingrained into his mind. Richard had always gone into a habitual stretching upon waking, it was like something automatic that he had started as a child. Although Bruce was fit, he couldn't do some of the things Richard did, nor did he know them. When he was smaller and taken to a circus once, Richard was able to identify all the moves the acrobats did. He was slightly frightened at how all this knowledge had come to be, but kept quiet; madness did not sit well with their social set. Now his body was lithe and lightly muscled, concealing how strong the teenager really was. Whenever he was alone in one of the spacious extra rooms, he'd let the memorized instructions take control over his body, executing fears that astounded even him. In fact, one night while he was seven he had a horrid, vivid dream that the two had fallen to their deaths, and he had stood there watching. Even though he didn't believe that the two were really his parents, Richard went about in a depression for the next month for reasons unknown to even himself.

The last dream was his favorite, but also the one that haunted him the most. It started off with just him and a little girl with red hair and bright green eyes, running through a forest eerily identical to the one near the house. Upon reaching the ring of trees, the whole thing would start to turn sour. The little redhead's giggling would turn into frightened screams, and her cheery emerald eyes would fill with panic. He would start to move back from her, closer to the edge of the stormy stream. Once Richard toppled over and his vision became clouded by water, he would hear her pained cry.

"_RICHARD!_"

At this point he would wake up in a cold sweat, panting heavily from how real it all seemed. After sitting up, the young man would open the ever-present locket that had hung from his neck as long as he could remember. It looked fit for a girl because it was heart-shaped, but it had never left his neck in all his seventeen years, or as least far back as he could remember. Inside were two pictures that just added more bafflement on his part.

They were both cut into soft hearts to fit inside the tiny heart shaped frames, but most of the originals still remained. The one on the left was the one he liked more, for some weird reason. The bubbly girl had her arms wrapped around his neck from his right, her cheek pressed against his and smiling brightly at the camera. He had a hand behind his head to scratch it, grinning as well. The other was a photo of just the girl flashing two fingers at the camera in a 'V for victory' sign. Once again, no idea how he knew that. And they were in color, which was strangest of all. That wasn't possible! Was it?

Richard had always assumed that the little girl was his longtime friend, Barbara Gordon, daughter of the city police chief. She had red hair and a sweet smile, but the only inconsistency was that her eyes were the same color as his, maybe bluer. Many were expecting him to marry her, seeing as how much time they spent together. The poor boy was unaware that Barbara was under this impression as well, but he just didn't seem to return the feelings. He was waiting for the girl that could make him smile and laugh effortlessly; make his breath catch and leave him lightheaded. So far, he had yet to met her.

The one thing that really sold the insanity factor to him was the voices. No, they didn't talk to him and tell him to become a kleptomaniac. They were just like voices from the past, echoing in his head.

"_C'mon Rachel, you know you love that song!"_

"_Garfield Logan, if you don't stop singing that perverted song I will hurt you badly and bury you in the sandbox!"_

"… _What's 'perve-ted' mean?"_

"_I dunno, but I'd listen to her if I were you man. I think she's serious."_

"_Is this how you do it dad?"_

"_Right son; just use your arm to give yourself more leverage. There… perfect!"_

"_How's my little Robin doing today?"_

And the one that continued to circle in his head for hours was the one of the cute little girl.

"_Richard, you're my best friend. ...Do you think we'll be friends forever?"_

As he walked to his own little spot in the forest, the line repeated in his mind over and over. Richard made his way over to the small circle of trees that always seemed so familiar to him. Sometimes he'd just come here and watch the small fish swim around in the shallow water, but right now it felt like something was calling him there. Having nothing better to do, he followed it and now sat down on the slightly sandy bank, taking off his suit jacket and placing it next to him. Looking out at the peaceful river, he sighed contentedly.

After a few minutes, he noticed something was off. The waters boiled like the time when one of the cooks had forgotten to turn off the stove and made the pot's water boil over. Richard scooted back, wary of it. Something with a large, shadowy outline came floating up and broke the surface. Only a glimpse of red could be caught before it began to sink back down slowly. From what he had saw, Richard assumed it was a person, and did the only thing sensible; he yanked off his waistcoat and white long sleeved shirt, diving in after the thing.

Using large, powerful strokes of his strong arms, Richard managed to reach the being in a matter of seconds, wondering why this part had looked so shallow from the topside. Maybe the rays of sunset were playing tricks on the water…

He hooked an arm around what he guessed was the waist area and began to rise up, travel hindered slightly by the person's dead weight. It was a good thing Richard had been there to save them or else they'd have drowned. Finally breaching the surface, the teen carried his load bridal-style to the tree in the middle and propped them against it, getting his first look at whomever he rescued. His breath was gone in an instant upon seeing the girl- no, _woman_ he rescued.

She looked like a grown up version of the girl from his dreams!

Her wet hair was clinging to her face and over her unopened eyelids, whole head tilting to the side a bit. Her clothes shocked him; Richard had never in his life seen so much skin on a woman. It looked like she was wearing less than a shift, for Pete's sake! Whatever odd shirt she wore, it stuck to her arms and was riding up, showing her flat stomach. Richard gulped. The water droplets covered her bare legs, and he stared at them for a few minutes before blushing and remembering that he shouldn't be looking at her like that. The beauty's chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm, so he wasn't very worried that she would die. Minutes passed and she still showed no sign of waking, so the 'hero' turned around to put his shirt back on over his damp chest. He had just slipped his waistcoat back on and had half the buttons on his shirt done when the girl groaned quietly. Richard turned while tucking the damp locket into his shirt and kneeled next to her, ready to assist if needed.

Coughing up water, the stranger opened her eyes, revealing large bottle green eyes that immediately captured his own. She pushed herself up feebly, still coughing and Richard helped her up. Her smaller hand in his was cold and he regretted letting it go. Leaning a little farther down, he peered into her face.

"Are you alright?"

---x---

Kori had vaguely felt someone slip an arm around her to pull her from the depths and thought, 'Well, at least I won't die' before slipping back into an unaware state again. Next thing she knew she was propped up against some tree and heard the rustling of clothes. Letting out a soft moan, she began to cough up enough water to fill a jug. Lifting her heavy eyelids, she was met by a set of eyes that entranced her.

Striking cobalt eyes, filled with slight concern, gazed into her own. Kori resisted the urge to sigh like a lovesick fool, which she wasn't. A least, not now. The rest of her vision returned, and she inhaled sharply at what she saw. 'He looks just like Richard, only older…!'

A boy, about seventeen, at least seventeen, crouched down by her side. His ebony hair was plastered down to his forehead and the strange clothes he sported were rumpled and had multiple wet patches. Kori turned a light shade of pink when she caught herself looking at his chest where some of the buttons were undone and thinking how cute the boy looked, scolding herself mentally. His deep voice shook her out of her thoughts.

"Are you alright?" He looked at her kindly, and she opened her mouth to reply, closing it and letting her eyes rove over her surroundings and finally come back to his handsome face. Kori answered with a question of her own.

"Who… who are you?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Teen Titans, Batman/Bruce Wayne and all related characters, 'I'm Too Sexy' by Right Said Fred, 'Smells Like Teen Sprit' by Nirvana, or any part of the plot that is related in any way, shape, or from to Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney, past present or future.

**Authoress' Note: **This was a _verrrrrrry _fun chapter to write. Hope Bruce and Jason's little sob story made you sad. In the empathic way, not the 'this-is-so-horrible-my-eyes-are-watering' way. And I know that Jason isn't Bruce's son, or Talia's son, or related to them in any way. But he did die in them comics and Bruce did feel horrible about it. If you know about his death in the comics, I bet you can guess who killed him. xD Or would I really be that predictable… -mysteriousness- And I do not like the Bruce/Talia pairing, so I feel no real remorse in killing her off. Bwahahahahaha. Ha. Yeah, I'm more of a Bruce/Selina person. I know, I totally screwed the cannon pasts and mixed them up, but I know what are real pasts and names and relations and what I made up. I hope you do too.

I have one little poll thingy for all you readers: Should Kid Flash be in Richard's time or with the rest of Kori's friends? It'd be fun to have him pester Robin, but KF in the present is fun to do too. I can't finish the next chapter until I get three 'past' or three 'present' votes.

On a personal note, Solo and Ensemble is THIS SATURDAY! I'm kinda nervous right now. For those of you who know what it is and are doing it, you probably feel this way. Hopefully I'll get a good rating… Oh boy. But I have to admit; my flute solo is really cool. ;D One kid in my band class said it sounded like it was from the Godfather, which I have never seen. Anyways, that's about it. Oh yeah, I have a project due next week that I have done squat on and have to work on that over the weekend, so probably no updates this weekend…

**Up next chapter: **Kori and Richard properly introduce themselves to each other, and both feel a strange connection to each other. Kori's hopes of Richard being the same one she lost years ago are crushed when Richard tells her his full name, but she still wishes to get to know him better. As Kori acquaints herself with Wayne Manor and causes general chaos, Rachel and the gang are still wondering where their best friend is and are prompted to investigate.

Catch ya later!

- Christine


	4. Chapter 3: Synonyms and Slips

**The Hourglass**

Chapter Three: Synonyms and Slips

April 17, 1904

Richard seemed surprised by her question and blinked slowly several times.

"Who am I?" he repeated blankly. "You mean, what's my name?" Kori bobbed her head, peering up at him strangely though wet lashes.

"Yeah… you do have one, right?" He nodded, finally regaining his senses.

"Yes, I do. It's Richard." Kori's heart soared with hope once she heard what she had longed to hear for so long, but was crushed once he spoke again. "Actually, it's Jason Richard Wayne, but I prefer Richard." She forced a smile and nodded.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Richard." Suddenly that name felt foreign on her lips. He really had died and was not coming back. The glow of hope in her eyes dimmed and her aura became slightly less cheery. This seemed to confuse her rescuer and he stood, offering her his hand.

"The pleasure is mine. Might I ask what your name is?" He said it so politely and unlike the boys she knew that she blushed, flattered.

"Kori Anders. Actually, it's Korianne, but call me Kori please." She felt a tiny bit embarrassed at herself and looked aside. Nevertheless, Richard smiled.

"I think that's a very lovely name… Korianne." Richard grasped her hand and attempted to pull her up by himself, like she couldn't do it on her own. Kori, who didn't really like being treated like she was weak due to Komi's incessant teasing, pulled her hand back, but only slightly.

"I'm pretty sure I can get up by myself." She squeezed his hand tightly to prove her point, effectively shocking Richard while standing.

------------x

To put it simply, Richard was astounded. This strange girl floats up out of the river and wakes up, and then she has a total change of attitude and gets up, _without _his help and not fainting or feeling weak. That was a change from most of the girls he knew, who acted like shrinking violets. This girl, Kori, was a refreshing alteration of what he was used to. He noticed her shiver and picked up his suit jacket that had been lying discarded by the bank, shaking off a bit of sand.

"Would you like to wear this? You're probably cold, am I right?" He offered it to her, hoping she wouldn't be offended again. Richard had no idea what he had done but was eager to calm her down. She looked from him to the jacket, then back to him again. A breeze passed and she gripped her upper arms. Once it passed Kori nodded, her teeth were chattering. She smiled sheepishly, feeling bad for how she had acted toward him moments ago.

"Yes, thanks." She took it and was about to slip it over her torso when she frowned. Richard was about to ask what was wrong, but was quickly distracted as she reached down and pulled her shirt off. Under it was the tank top-now-belly shirt, but to Richard it may as well have been her corset. 'All that skin…' He just about fainted as she cast the soaking sweatshirt to the ground and pulled his suit jacket over her body. Once she finished buttoning it up so that her stomach wouldn't freeze over, she looked up at the dumbstruck boy and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Richard? Richard, are you okay?" He started and looked at her, heat flooding his face and turning his cheeks red.

"I fine- I mean you're fi- I mean, uh… Yes?" Richard tripped over his words and Kori just giggled and covered her mouth with one hand while taking his hand in the other. Her depression was shoved to the back of her mind for now.

"So, do you have a place where I could get some new clothes, or dry off, or something?" Richard nodded, still a little pink in the face from her grabbing his hand.

"Yes, I think there are some spare clothes I can lend you at my house." With that, he led the strange girl out of the forest to his house, navigating through the darkness of nightfall.

x------------

April 17, 2004

"Okay, what should we watch tonight? 'Zombie Brain Eaters 4: Return of the Dead' or 'Android Intelligence Suckers IV: Homecoming Robots'?" Garfield held both up in his girlfriend face, blocking her view of her current book. She sighed and put the book down on her lap, using a finger as a temporary bookmark.

"You do realize that they have the exact plots and the titles are just synonyms of each other?" Gar looked confused and glanced at the covers.

"But _Raaaaaaae_, that's not true! 'Zombie Brain Eaters 4' is about zombies that attack the town hall while there's a charity ball going on and eat everyone's brains, while 'Android Intelligence Suckers IV' is about robots that attack the homecoming dance and suck… everyone's… IQ points… out. Oh…" He looked at the summaries on the backs and threw them down on the coffee table where Rachel's feet and the remote currently rested. "Man, why do you always have to be right?" She smirked lightly at him and returned to her book.

"Because I'm the girlfriend, and the girlfriend is always right." Gar groaned and turned to Victor, who was in the kitchen making a quick sandwich. Rachel and Kori had given up trying to keep the boys out of their refrigerators long ago and now various meat and tofu products were found in all four of the friends' houses. The frustrated teen turned his face to his older friend.

"Hey Vic, why didn't you tell me they were both about the same thing?" Vic shrugged and sprinkled a few more pepperonis on his bread.

"I thought you already knew it. Besides," Vic slammed the door shut with his foot since his hands were full with food, and something inside fell and made a tinkling noise. Rachel put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, wondering why she let them in the house in the first place. "I don't think Kori would want to watch either. This is all for her benefit, so I think she should choose the movie. Think we should've rented 'Titanic' or something?" Rachel glanced up sharply at him when he sat next to her and sprayed crumbs over her book cover. She wrinkled her nose.

"Are you serious? That would just make her cry; it's one of the saddest movies out there. And since you two are too 'manly' to handle a crying girl, I'm stuck with comforting her. So no. No 'Titanic.'" Gar flopped between his girlfriend and best friend, casually slinging an arm over Rachel's shoulders. He looked at the digital clock that displayed the time in neon blue, blinking every other second.

**7:47**

**7:47**

**7:48**

"Shouldn't Kori be here by now anyways?" Rachel craned her head to see what he was talking about. She watched the numbers flicker.

"Whoa… You're right for once." Rachel stood up quickly and kissed Gar on the cheek absentmindedly. "I'll be right back, I think I need to make a phone call." The two males watched her leave and enter her room where there was a cordless phone. Gar frowned.

Rachel never did public displays of affection unless A) She was concerned or distracted, or B) Gar was having a _really _lucky day. The two, being guys, shrugged it off and began to watch an infomercial about a turkey cooker, the ensuing fight over turkey rights.

"That's totally not fair! How would you like it if someone cut off _your _head and ate your body? It's cannonballism!"

"… I think you mean cannibalism. And besides, if they're made of meat then that means we're _supposed _to eat them."

"Dude! Not cool! So, does that mean you're going to eat me?"

"Nah. You're too skinny."

"Good, now I- hey!" Rachel rolled her eyes and took the cordless phone off the cradle and shut her door to block out the bickering. An uneasy feeling gnawed at her stomach as she sat on the plush navy comforter of her bed. She fondled the sleek black back of the phone and flipped it over. The clear coverings of the numbers and the LCD screen stared back at her.

**TOFU ROX**

A fleeting smile appeared on her face. Gar had taken her phone when it was brand new and typed the goofy greeting into it as the message. She didn't think she would need the manual after she had it working enough to call, and left it in the box. After finding the message on the display, she had tried to change it but could never figure out how because Victor had thrown out the box, thinking she was done with it. Now she was stuck with it, just like she was stuck with Gar. Of course, she had chosen to stick with Gar.

Rachel let her finger linger on the seven and pressed down, watching the backlight illuminate the whole phone. All the buttons stood out in a greenish glow, and she quickly dialed the numbers burned into her memory from fifty tries of trying to call Kori's house in third grade. The call hadn't gone through because the phone line was down at the time, and Rachel spent a good hour trying before giving up.

**526 – 3377**

She bit her lip and looked out the window at the solitary streetlamp, watching it flicker against the starless backround of the sky.

"Come on Kori. Pick up."

x------------

Inside Kori's car, a small polyphonic ringtone began to play. The upbeat melody broke the dead silence, and the backlights on the silver cellphone switched on. It stood out from the spilled contents of her purse, the music ending as Rachel's voice was heard. It was small and filtered, sounding like she wasn't close enough to the mouthpiece.

"_Kori? Kori, where are you? You've late, I'm stuck with Gar and Vic, and they won't stop eating my food. I'm supposing that something came up and you forgot to call._" Rachel didn't want to openly admit she was worried, instead hiding it in her usual sarcasm and letting a hint of anxiety weave into her voice. "_Call me back when you get this; I want to know what was so important that you missed movie night._" There was a click as Rachel hung up. The small object could be seen thought the windows, glowing blue for a moment before fading to black and making the message on the screen unable to read.

**ONE MISSED CALL**

x------------

Rachel hung up the phone, staring intently at the phone.

'Where is she?' The girl jumped as Gar called for her from the hall.

"Hey, did you reach her?" She got up from the bed and put the phone back on her way out. When she stopped in the doorway of the hall, she saw Garfield and Victor await her answer. She shrugged and walked back to her seat.

"No, I left a message on her cell. Who knows, maybe there was an emergency or something." Her two companions exchanged looks. Even they could tell Rachel was worried; Kori was like a sister to her. For her to just shrug it off meant that they were going to have to go Kori's house tomorrow and look for their friend at Rachel's command. Gar looked at his girlfriend as she picked up the remote and pressed play.

"Did she say anything about not coming tonight?" She moved back and leaned on his side.

"No, she actually told me she was going to be here when I was talking to her earlier. I guess she's just busy." The three teens settled in to watch the movie, each silently wondering where Kori had gone.

------------x

April 17, 1904

Even though she seemed nice enough to him, Richard couldn't risk having someone see Kori and ask about who she was and where she was from. He wasn't even sure. So, under the cover of the dark, he tugged her into the bushes by the side of the manor. Her bright eyes shone in the dark, confused.

"Richard, why're we- mmph!" He had to cover her mouth with his hand; she had been talking at a normal volume and he had to silence her. Richard put a finger to her lips instead of his hand.

"Shh," he whispered. "I don't want anyone to find us. I'm not sure Bruce would welcome an uninvited guest. Let's go this way." Kori, face flushed after he hand put his finger on her lips, nodded mutely and let him lead the way around his house. The sides were immense in length, and she wondered why she hadn't noticed the unusually large house around town before.

Upon reaching a tree, he turned around and let go of her hand, silently pointing to a window with the was very near one of the braches sprouting off the ancient tree in front of them.

"My room is up there; I'll help you-" Richard cut himself off when he turned around with intent to help her into the tree. Where'd she go? Her voice sounded from above.

"Up here!" He tilted his head back to look up, astonished to see Kori already in the branches. The foliage covered part of her figure, the moon making delicate ivory patterns on her skin. Richard was thoroughly confused now, but quickly and gracefully swung himself into the branches. He could just make out the impressed look on Kori's face and felt a glow of pride, although his face stayed impassive in concentration.

Shifting on the branch with the ease of an acrobat, he pointed to the window with his hand. It had a small golden glow coming from his lamp within. The bed covers that could be seen were unmade, something that Bruce didn't approve of. Richard had asked the maids to leave his room alone, and they only came in to deliver fresh clothes and such. He would've made it by himself, but sometimes he just had days when he didn't feel like doing it. Today just happened to be one of those days.

"Okay, all you have to do is follow me. I'll open the window and help you in." She nodded in agreement and watched as he walked almost carelessly along the branch. His feet turned to support his weight on the thin support and he reached over to lift the window frame up. It grated open, making the funny noise of wood scraping on wood and covering his quiet grunt. He hopped in and landed on the plush carpeting of the floor, pivoting to face the girl still squatting in the tree. She looked at the small gap between the windowsill and the end of the branch, biting her lip.

"Okay, here I come," she said uncertainly. Kori straightened and walked forward, arms held out to the side to balance herself. Richard moved closer to the window and extended his hand to her. This time Kori was glad for it and took it gratefully. He helped her with the last few steps and made sure that she didn't fall when she pretty much tumbled through the window. She regained her balance and looked around the good-sized room.

It had an almost regal feel to it, the tone mostly a nice gold color and the wood paneling a rich brown. The bed's royal blue covers were slightly askew, but Kori was used to seeing worse in Gar's room. The door was on the opposite wall from the window, closed at the moment. A large, stately wardrobe was pushed up against the adjacent wall's corner near them. The headboard of the bed was against the wall opposite the on with the wardrobe, and had the tall posts going up to a few inches below the ceiling. Blood red curtains hung from them and brushed the floor, parted to one side and letting Kori see the rest of the rumpled bedcovers. She took a few more steps forward, dripping some water every now and then. The wind had dried her off for the most part already.

"Richard, your room…! It's amazing!" She continued on to run her fingers over the paneling and he opened the door to peek outside. No one. The coast was clear for now, and Richard had to act before his chance slipped away. He closed the door and leaned on the back, mind racing to formulate a plan while Kori continued to inspect his room. His blue eyes shut in concentration. Think, think…

'Think think think…'

Richard's eyes snapped open. Where had he heard that saying? Something from when he was younger, something about a bear and honey… Whatever, back to the plan.

There was the spare boudoir that held all his mother's old things. There were probably some nightclothes in there, and a brush… Richard stopped thinking again. 'Wait a minute; I'm going to let her stay? This is a bad idea.' Nevertheless, he opened the door again, searching for a certain maid this time. The sound of shoes briskly walking along caught his attention, and to his sheer luck the very person he wanted right now walked around the corner.

Jade Nguyen had been with them for a while now. She differed from the other submissive, timid housemaids in many ways, mainly that she let her views be heard loud and clear, albeit in a different language. She didn't mind sharing what she thought of what her chores, but kept it in Japanese most of the time so she wouldn't get fired. Although, she sometimes complained in English to Roy, who let a few things slip around Richard when the pair talked. Richard really didn't care, so long as she was doing her job. She was pretty good at it, occasionally using foreign curses on dirty objects that were a hassle to clean.

She also had a vast knowledge of herbs and plants, knowing how to make certain cures and, while never using them, poisons. Other than that, they knew virtually nothing about her. Jade hadn't told them where she was from; only disclosing that she had been to Japan and spoke the language. With long black hair and emerald eyes, it was obvious that she wasn't Japanese. The one time she had been asked by one of the other maids about her origins, Jade snapped at her and became so angry that she slapped the girl. Of course, her employers knew nothing, as she had threatened to poison anyone who told the Waynes of her behavior that night. Most butlers and maid tended to stay away after that. Bruce had noticed and had taken action to learn more about the mysterious woman.

"Psst! Jade! Come here!" The maid stopped, arms full with clean sheets for the master bedroom. She glared at him. Her load was large and awkward to carry, and Jade didn't appreciate having to stop and 'chat.'

"What is it Wayne–san? I'm busy." She changed course and stood outside the doorway, setting her load down as she did so. Her hands were placed on her hips, attitude radiating from her in waves. Richard sighed and rubbed a hand over his face; maybe another maid would've been better… Actually, Jade was probably the only maid he could trust _not _to gossip about what he was doing.

"I need you to get some things for me. I-" She cut him off before he could list anything.

"Look, I have my hands full as it is, get someone else to do it." She turned to leave when Richard grabbed her arm. Her eyes flashed with anger and narrowed at him.

"Let go! _Kamawa nai de_!" His demeanor changed, going from someone asking politely to the man of the house telling the maid to do her chores.

"I'll say it again again: I need you to gather some things for me. I can't do it right now, so you have to." She stood up straight again and looked at him, slightly curious.

"Why?" He glanced back into his bedroom briefly and then back at her.

"I just can't."

"Well then, I'm not doing it unless you tell me," Jade sneered. Richard rolled his eyes.

"That's a childish bribe, and I'm not telling you anyways."

"_Zannen desu_. I still want to know." Richard, who had released her arm seconds ago, crossed his arms over his chest.

"You do know that I could have my father let you go, don't you?" She thought for a moment, and then sighed resignedly.

"Fine, I'll do it. What do you need?" He ran over a quick list in his head.

"I'll need… a brush, some towels, and one of my mother's old nightgowns." Jade didn't ask why this time, knowing he wouldn't tell her anyways. She walked off muttering to herself.

"'_Burashi ga irimasu, motto taoru ga irimasu, yoru doresu ga irimasu.' _Ugh… _Asupirin ga irimasu._" The irritated maid stalked off to deliver the sheets, returning fifteen minutes later with the items requested. She shoved them into his arms, and he frowned.

"Took you long enough; I needed this faster." Jade was still frustrated with him and just glared tiredly.

"_Kinkyu! Keisatsu o yonde! _You didn't get you stupid things fast enough. That's not a huge problem. Anything else? The bath, perhaps?" The sarcasm dripped from her words, complete with pretend hysteria and throwing her hands up in the air. He surveryed the things in his hands. Everything was there, but there was more than one white nightdress. He just assumed that she had grabbed the white cloth off the hangers and not noticed that she took a few too many. Still looking it over, he shook his head.

"No, that will be all. You may go now" She yawned, walking down the hallway.

"_Yorokonde_," she mumbled under her breath. Jade made a mental note to check on him in the morning. She was naturally curious and her innocent smile she gave out when caught spying or some such thing had stuck her with the nickname 'Cheshire' from those who she had spied on. Richard shook his head and strode back into his room.

It just hit him that halfway through his talk with Jade that the small sounds of Kori wandering around his room had disappeared. A small tinge of panic ran through him; where had she gone? He looked around, going a few steps in one direction before changing his path, craning his head to look around.

"Miss Anders? Miss Anders, where-" Richard cut himself off as he peeked between the curtains of his bed. There was the redheaded beauty, spread on his bed. A serene smile was on her face, auburn hair spread out behind her head. He cleared his throat and her eyes snapped open. She shot up into a sitting position and immediately began apologizing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I was just checking it out, and it looked so comfortable, I-" She stopped in mid-sentence when Richard began chuckling softly.

"It's alright, I don't mind." He offered her the things in his arms and explained. "I thought that you'd need something to change into for sleeping." She nodded and took the small pile, but scared him half to death when she stopped dead in her tracks and dropped the load.

"Sleeping… Oh no! I forgot about Rachel!" Kori began freaking out, and Richard tried to calm her down. He rushed over to her and grasped her forearms to keep her from running around and tiring herself out.

"Miss, please calm down!" She obeyed after a few seconds, panting slightly. He led her over to the bed again and sat her down, taking a seat next to her. "Now what's the problem?" Her eyes rose, and he was shocked to see that they were wet.

"I… I had made plans to spend the night at my friend's house. I totally forgot to call and tell her what happened." She looked miserable, staring at her hands in her lap. "They must be wondering where I am. Do you have a phone I could use to call?" Richard looked a little confused by her slight use of slang.

"Um… We do have a telephone, but I think it would be best for you to call them in the morning. They probably won't want to be woken up at this hour." If Kori knew that it was only nine, she would've scoffed and said that they were just starting. But, she didn't know how long she was out for, and it was dark outside, so she took Richard's advice.

"I guess. I've got some explaining to do to them though." She rubbed her forehead and got up to collect the small assortment of things dropped on the floor. Richard cast his eyes elsewhere when she bent down to pick them up. "Where should I change?"

"Well…" Richard didn't want her leaving his room, for fear she'd get lost in the maze of hallways and rooms in the mansion, and if he was to lead her to the nearest bathroom was on the other side of this floor. That meant a large risk of being seen, and secrecy was what he wanted right now. "I can stand outside while you change, if you wish." She liked that idea and Richard exited the room. Kori spread the items on the bed, looking at the nightgowns.

"Hmm, let's see. These are too long, but this one looks about right…"

------------x

Richard knocked on the door.

"Are you done?"

"Yes, you can come in now," came her muffled reply. He opened the door, the first thing he saw being her back. In a pile to the side, near the foot of his bed, was the small pile of clothes and the now-damp towels. On top of the purple shirt – if you could call it that – was some strange white garment that consisted of two cups and straps, with slim ribbons attached in loops to make armholes. He raised an eyebrow at it but his attention turned to Kori once she spoke.

"Thanks again Richard. I really appreciate this." He was about to tell her she was welcome but it died on his lips when she turned around. Her red hair was draped over her shoulder so she could brush it and stood out against the white nightgown. Only, what she was wearing wasn't a nightgown.

It was a slip.

He turned bright red and was struck speechless. The two slim straps curved around her shoulder and the rest of the dress clung to her figure as it was designed to do, the whole thing ending right at mid-thigh. She was acting like she was unaware that was in her _undergarments_, for Pete's sake! Her large jade eyes moved from her hair to Richard, noticing his blush.

"Richard? Are you feeling okay?" How could she act so casual about this!? He tried to get something, _anything_, out.

"Er, about that… nightgown." She smiled and spun in a small circle, making him swallow hard.

"Yeah, it's really nice. Thank you!" His guest opened her eyes again and smiled, her mood toned down a bit. "Do you have something to sleep in?" He nodded dumbly. "Okay, well, I can wait outside if you want."

"No!" His outburst surprised her and she looked back at him, puzzled. He tried to think of a plausible excuse. "You can, uh, just sit on my bed and close the curtains. I trust you won't peek." She nodded and hopped into the bed, pulling the hangings shut. As he began to undress quickly, he sighed. This was a crude and very improper way to do things, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right? He pulled on the pants and shrugged into the shirt.

Right.

Richard finished with the buttons and walked back over to the bed.

"Miss Anders, you can come out now. I'm finished." Her head popped out and she looked him up and down, taking in his outfit.

"Nice pajamas. And please, call me Kori; Miss Anders sounds like… my mother." Her grin faded a bit, but before Richard could enquire as to why she disappeared behind the curtains. He raised an eyebrow and pushed the curtains aside to see Kori's eyes peeking out under his covers. He heard her giggle.

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" He looked startled. She was suggesting they share the same bed? Oh, so many morals were being thrown out the window with this girl. She took his expression as an indication that she was to have her own bed. Her eyes saddened slightly, feeling stupid and selfish that she had just jumped into his bed without asking. "Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't know if I should've asked or something… I'll go find a guest bed."

Kori moved to get up but was stopped by Richard.

"No, it's… it's fine." A half-hearted smile was on his face and she moved back a little, unsure.

"Really? Because I understand if you want you bed to yourself." He shook his head and crawled over to the other side of the bed. He wanted space, and lots of it, from her. Not that he didn't like her; he just didn't want to accidentally touch her in his sleep or some such thing.

"Like I said before, it's fine." Reaching around the curtain on his side, he clicked off the only lamp that had been on. "Goodnight." She snuggled into the covers, content for the moment.

"Goodnight Richard." He felt her move around for a moment, but couldn't see where because he was on his side and facing the other direction. It was clear soon enough as he felt something warm press up against his back. Oh boy.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans, the movie 'Titanic', Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney in any way shape or form nor part of the plot that resembles hers, or Winnie the Pooh. You know, I don't see why he's a guy, yet he's named Winnie. Did Christopher Robin name him that? And what's a 'pooh', anyway? … / Eh, he's cute anyways. XD

**Thanks to those who reviewed: **fluffbuff, Aislinn Gesine, Agent of the Divine One, Inuasha's BIG SEXY BITCH, teen freak, Headstrongx3, Tsukikage1213, nadiagirl, BeastBoy4pres052, Nightstar Grayson, Rochelleteentitan, and Neilie. I forgot last chapter, so I put both chapters one and two here.

Big thanks to Neilie, who helped me with history and such. Thanks much! ;D

**Authoress' Note: **First of all, I am aware that Cheshire hasn't had anything to do with Japan, but I tried to find a translator on the internet that would translate English into Chinese words instead of characters and came up with zip. So I remembered that my sister had gotten a book that had Japanese phrases and borrowed that and used it with Jade. When I was looking it over I realized that she was speaking Japanese instead of Chinese, and I had to change her bio slightly. So yes, I do know that she could not speak Japanese, but I'm the author and I get to make a few changes. Oh, and did she seem OOC at all? I haven't ever heard her speak and only saw her brief appearance in 'Calling All Titans'.

Don't hesitate to tell me if I made anyone OOC. I tried hard to keep them in character and actually rewrote Rachel's call to Kori's cellphone because she seemed too soft in it. And yeah, I went a little crazy with the bolding words for dramatic effect, sorry about that. ;;;;

I also have one thing that involves something else I'm writing: Do you think Batman would think that Batgirl could handle Killer Croc with the help of the Titans? It's either Batgirl and the Titans vs. Killer Croc or Humpty Dumpty, who is in fact the name of a villain. xD

Last thing; if something doesn't seem right about the characters, like their appearance or something like that, I most likely changed it on purpose to fit what I had in mind. I'm not totally ignorant. XD Okay, I'm done now.

**Up next chapter: **The next morning, along with the promise of rain, brings lots of problems. Richard has to explain Kori to Bruce, the Gordons come over, Roy has a talk with Bruce about Jade, and Wally isn't helping any, in Jennifer's opinion. Rachel, on the other hand, gets everyone up to go to Kori's house to investigate her absence. They talk with Galfore and learn that she hasn't been seen since yesterday, and Xavier pops up to talk to Kori, startled to learn that she's missing. They go out to look for her around town while Kori is preparing her for a ball that same evening.

Dudes, check this out. I made it when I was really bored.

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It's a Christmas tree. I was just testing out that new key I never knew existed until then. Anyways, later!

- Christine


	5. Chapter 4: Expectations and Explanations

**The Hourglass**

Chapter Four: Expectations and Explanations

April 18, 1904

As she had promised herself last night, Jade woke up and quietly made her way up to the floor with Richard's room on it. She snuck silently down the dark hallway, feeling her way along with her hands on the wall. Her hand abruptly hit something cold and metallic and closed around it. Carefully, Jade turned the knob and crept in.

It was still early and the sunlight that filtered through the thin window curtains was gray and dismal. Using it as the only light she could get, she crossed over to the bed. A small pile of clothes that she was certain wasn't Richard's lay near the footboard. She looked curiously at it when she passed it, but let it go. She was here for dirt on Richard, not whatever was lying on his floor. She'd probably find it when she cleaned later today. Pushing aside the curtain, Jade let out a quiet gasp that turned into a satisfied smirk.

"_Kore wa nan desu ka? Kiyanai, kiyanai,_" she mumbled under her breath, shaking her head with mock lament.

Richard had a girl in his bed.

Now Jade didn't know what was going on, but she knew Bruce wouldn't approve of this. It was also very uncharacteristic of Richard. And what about Barbara and him? The grin that had given her nickname grew, eyes narrowing maliciously.

"_Ojosan… Shinjirarenai._" Bruce would definitely want to know about this. Who knows, there might be a reward. Until she knew for sure if it was good blackmail or not, she'd keep it under her hat. Jade turned around and began sneaking out. Looking over her shoulder, she leered to herself.

"_Iroiro ariagato._" With that, the door shut quietly on the scene. She was still grinning to herself. This would prove to be _very_ useful.

x------------

April 18, 2004

The next morning dawned dreary and murky, and the shaft of sunlight that came through the guestroom window was the sickly kind that made you want to squint and shoo it away. At least, that's what Gar thought.

"Uggh… Go 'way." A lazy hand rose in the air and clawed around blindly for a few moments before letting it flop back to the mattress. "Eh, whatever." He turned his face into the pillow, smiling and ready to fall back into his dream, which involved lots of tofu and Rachel. Sinking into the comforter, he reached that stage between being awake and being asleep. He was right on the edge of dreamland until the covers were yanked back. The teenager rolled over and moaned. "Arrgg! The light!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and tried to get him up. She pushed his side lightly.

"Gar, come on. We're going to Kori's house, remember?" He groaned and tried to curl up into a ball to keep warm.

"'S too early." Rachel was starting to get tired of this. She grabbed the back of his large forest-green shirt and pulled it back. He made a gagging noise and she let up, face softening a bit.

"What will it take to get you up?" Garfield sat up, or rather moved into a slouched sitting position, and attempted to cover his yawn. Rubbing his eyes, he shrugged.

"I dunno, something shocking. Wanna ask Vic if he'll- mmmph!" Rachel had cut him off by grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling his face up to hers for a surprise kiss. She pressed her lips to his firmly while his eyes grew wide open in shock and then slowly slid closed. They enjoyed it for a few more seconds before they heard Vic's clumping footsteps coming down the hall.

"Yo, Rach, you get him up yet?" Her eyes grew wide and she released her grip on his shirt in surprise. Gar, who had his eyes closed during the embrace, had fallen back onto the bed with a funny-sounding squeak of shock. The couple, both hearts doing double time after the sudden intrusion, looked at each other. Rachel turned her head over her shoulder to call to Vic.

"Yeah, he's up. Just hold on a minute, okay?" His response was a jingling of keys, telling them that he would wait and start up the car. Rachel turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "You okay?" He grinned and sat up.

"Totally." As he stood to get some clothes, he remarked casually, "Y'know Rae, I might just sleep in tomorrow if I get another kiss like that." He looked at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She felt a slight smile tugging at her lips.

When they were younger, Gar had continually told her that she needed to smile and laugh more. After they had begun dating, he had told her that it was because both were beautiful and rare. Needless to say, she was secretly flattered and gave him a smile now and then, but never in public. It would ruin her rep and was really something she reserved just for Gar.

"Let's just go, alright?" She turned around politely while Gar pulled some jeans over his boxers and yanking off the wrinkled sleepshirt to replace it with a gray shirt with some silly symbol on it; he had said it was a video game character, but she couldn't remember the name.

"I'm just… Wouldn't Kori call as soon as possible to tell us what happened?" Her eyes seemed to stare at nothing while she listened to Gar's reasoning, calming only slightly.

"Chill Rachel, maybe Galfore had to go to the hospital or something." This reason seemed very unlikely though, seeing as Galfore was a strong war veteran with the scars to prove it. After pulling the shirt over his head, he crossed to the mirror and was about to quickly fix his hair when a honk came from outside. Gar looked out the window. Vic had his head poking out of the car and his hand pressed on the horn.

"Come on you guys! I'm getting tired of waiting!"

"Just hold on a sec!" was Gar's response. He ran a hand hurriedly through his hair, grabbed Rachel's wrist, and pretty much dragged her out the door to appease his friend. Once they were all bundled safely in the car, Vic pulled out and started towards Kori's house.

------------x

The silver car drove up the large tan driveway and parked a few feet from the garage. The Anders house was quite large for such a small family. It was beautiful on the outside and inside, but sadly only Kori and Galfore were there to enjoy what it had to offer. A lot had happened in twelve years.

For starters, a war had broken out between Tamaran and Gordania when Kori was around seven, and Galfore had been able to handle it up to a point where he had no other choice but to call the Anders back to settle things. Myan and Luanne had to bring their children with them. It was a very risky move; they had moved to the Americas just to keep their family safe. Now they were just bringing them into the heart of the entire conflict.

After negotiations had gone on for longer than the Gordanians had been able to put up with, they launched a surprise attack on the Anders' home, the palace. The king and queen had been caught up in their attempt to hide by some of the enemy and refused to give in. The frustrated and bloodthirsty soldiers had offered them a choice that they had been told to give: give the children as slaves for a peace treaty. If they refused, they would be killed and the children would be taken, leaving the country ready to be destroyed. Sadly but somewhat willingly, the parents agreed to demand. Needless to say, the children had been shocked.

Komi had been the angriest, yelling at her parents and then turning on Kori, holding her responsible for it. She justified it be saying that, because she herself was a cripple and therefore not worthy of the throne, she was of no real value to the Gordanians. Kori, however, was in perfect condition to rule and worth something to the invaders. In Komi's mind, she believed that she was only taken because Kori wouldn't go without her siblings, which was the opposite of Kori really felt. Of course, the Gordanians had never asked the children's preference to the trade and took all three without hesitation. Ryan, who was only three at the time, had been utterly confused as to what was going on and had done what toddlers did best: cry and throw tantrums that sent the soldiers smacking him to quiet the wailing child.

Once the children were safely in the hands of the Gordanians, an officer had gone into the Anders' office. The parents were deeply upset and had assumed that he was there to deliver the news that the army was preparing to move out and would leave Tamaran alone. He wasn't.

A few moments later, the officer walked out of the room, blowing off his smoking pistol. The rest goes without saying.

The royal children – now orphans – had been tested upon, mainly to see what made their legs so strong and suited for running. The scars had long since healed, but the memories hadn't faded from the little one's minds. Only the escape was a blur in Kori's mind.

All she could remember was sitting numbly in her room – if it would qualify as that, it was more like a cell – and suddenly hearing crashes outside. A loud explosion near her room – Komi standing in the door way, holding a smoking gun and eyes alight with malice and bloodlust – acquiring her own weapon, a gun that she could barley manage to lift – running down the hallways, fiercely fighting their way through the surprised guards – and freedom, glorious freedom. Of course, it was dreary and barren with dead trees all around them, but freedom nonetheless.

The two made it safely back home after about a month, showing up on the place doorstep, exhausted. Komi and Kori had taken turns carrying each other at odd intervals when the other collapsed of fatigue. Only when they were safely inside did Kori realize that Ryan had been left behind. She had asked Komi why she had gotten herself and Kori out, but failed to get Ryan. Komi had merely replied, "I guess I forgot."

After that, Kori became furious, more than she could even imagine being, at her sister. It wasn't like Kori to hold grudges, but she still remembered that disaster and couldn't help but be a bit angry when the subject was brought up. It was a touchy topic for everyone involved.

Now the large house was nowhere near the happy home it used to be, filled with whispers of sorrow and ghosts of the past.

The gravel crunched under their shoes as the trio walked silently up the pathway. A large gray cloud rolled by, huge and filled with rain. The brisk wind picked up the collar of Rachel's black jacket, send a chill down her spine. She shivered.

Victor's clumping steps stopped at the doorstep, and he looked around. Yep, it was going to rain hard later this afternoon. He pressed the slim white doorbell with a large finger, looking back at his friends as they listened to the chime echo through the obviously vacant address. The taller teen turned around to the others.

Gar shifted uncomfortably in his spot, crossing his arms over his chest. Rachel rubbed her arms, casting her dark blue eyes around aimlessly, trying not to look worried. Gar happened to glance at the driveway, finally noticing something.

"Hey! There aren't any cars in the driveway!" Everyone's attention was diverted to the driveway. Garfield was right; both Kori's white compact and Galfore's large, forest green truck. Victor scratched his head and turned back to the ornate door.

"Well, maybe they're just not-" A scratching and loud whining coming from the other side cut off his words. The motley search party looked dubiously at each other.

Silkie would _never_ be this desperate to get out. Kori took him out regularly, and while he was quite the active puppy, he would never be actually _whining_ to get out. The scratches increased in frequency and Gar snapped out of it. Since he had been the one to give Silkie to Kori, (So that Steve wouldn't catch him with the dog when the 'No Pets' rule had been made perfectly clear after the incident with the raccoons), he loved Silkie with the same enthusiasm as Kori. He made numerous trips to say hello to Silkie and play with the mutt.

"What're we standing here for? Silkie wants out." Gar bent down to pick up the oddly-shaped key that was kept hidden in one of the Anders' strange plants from their homeland, proudly displaying their heritage on their front lawn. He hastily shoved the key in the lock and turned it, flinging the door wide open.

"Don't worry, Silkie, we're he- OOF!" The huge, two hundred pound Saint Bernard had tackled the poor boy and knocked him onto the pavement. Licking the recognized face, the large, almost pure white dog woofed happily as the boy under him squirmed to get up. "C'mon Silkie, I need to breathe!"

His hands strained on the dog's furry, barrel-like chest. Silkie apparently got the message and moved off to the trees. Either that, or he decided that the call of nature was too strong to be ignored. Leaving the dog to his business, Gar dusted dead grass off the back of his gray zip-up jacket, a few pieces still clinging to the cotton. He followed the others into the uninhabited house, noticing all the small signs.

Kori's key wasn't on the hook, and her jacket was currently missing from the coat rack that stood in the kitchen. The kitchen sink was nearly empty, with the large oak dining table clear of her books and backpack. Victor was looking around the living room and looking for any sign that Kori had been there when Rachel walked in, looking a bit shaken. He gave her a concerned look.

"What's wrong, Rachel? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." She shook her head and pulled out a chair, sitting down shakily.

"I went upstairs, just to see if she was up sleeping, and her hamper was empty, her purse wasn't there, and… and… it looks like she hasn't been home since yesterday morning." After this, Rachel turned her head sharply and looked out the large window determinedly, trying to focus on the few wet drops that hit the window.

Victor's forehead creased while he grimaced. If _Rachel_, the most levelheaded of the group, doubted her own explanation, this was serious.

Gar walked in, Silkie trotting after him and then exiting to the kitchen. The teenager watched the dog go and swiveled his head back to his friends, glimpsing the expression on Rachel's face. He took the seat next to her, putting a hand on her back.

"…Rae? What's wrong?" She gave no response but to glare out the glass window sullenly, keeping her emotions under lock and key. Gar frowned. "Listen, I'm just as worried as you are, and-" Rachel shrugged off his hand and stood, trying to keep her voice level.

"Kori hasn't been here all night, and we don't know where she is. Do you even have to ask me?" In the silence that followed, Victor's ears registered a beeping going throughout the house. Taking a look at the not-so-happy couple, he began easing out of the room.

"Uh… I'm gonna go check that out. Be right back, ya'll." Leaving the sounds of the beginning of an argument behind, he strode quickly into the kitchen and found the phone. The symbols flashed in time with the beeps and he pressed the clear button. A message resonated through the room, the deep voice of Galfore sounding like he was standing next to Vic.

"Greetings, my little bumgorf. I am just calling to inform you that I must stay a bit later at work, so I shall be home later than usual. I know you are most likely at school right now, so please, call me back once you hear this." He said something in Tamerainian, some type of farewell no doubt, and the phone let out a long, monotonous beep.

"End of messages," the pre-recorded female voice informed him. Vic looked at the telephone confusedly for a moment, and then rejoined his friends in the dining room. The two seemed to have gotten over their tiff, although they weren't really looking at each other. He cleared his throat and attempted to rid the room of the slight tension.

"Uh… I don't think calling Galfore or asking him if he's seen Kori would be a good idea." Rachel turned her gaze from the wall and gave him a curious look.

"Why?" Victor rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a breath.

"Well, he hasn't been home since yesterday; he left a phone message that he had to stay late for work. And seeing as it's Galfore, he's not coming home until sometime the next afternoon."

Galfore had become a policeman after taking in Kori and Komi. He knew there was no job that involved military tactics besides joining the army itself, but he didn't want to leave the young girls along or have them move all over the country. So, he settled for a law enforcement job, doing a good job and earning enough to keep the family going. Sometimes he had to stay late on a stakeout or chase, and phoned Kori quickly to let her know. Komi had long since run away; last they had heard of her, she had been spotted near the border of Tamaran.

Gar stood up decisively.

"Then we'll just call him and tell him we can't find Kori." His girlfriend shot him a sharp look.

"Are you serious? Don't you think Steve would freak out if we called him up unexpectedly and told him that you were missing?" Gar scoffed under his breath.

"I doubt it." She frowned.

"I know he loves you like a son, he just wants you to behave. I'm sure he'd go all out looking for you." He didn't look convinced. His mouth opened like he was about to say something, but then closed it. After thinking for a few seconds, he spoke.

"So, what? We're just going to let him find out when he gets- " A loud knock cut through the otherwise quiet house like a gunshot. He looked in the direction of the door, confused. "… Home?" Gar turned to his companions. "Think that's him?"

"Well, one way to find out." Rachel stood, smoothed her jeans, and walked towards the door. She gripped the knob and turned, expecting to see the large, grizzled beard and rugged face of the ex-Head of the Tamerainian Army. What she did not expect was the young, handsome face of Xavier Redding, leaning causally on the doorframe.

A cool, composed smile was on his face, expecting to see Kori's face, but seeing Rachel startled him as much as he did her. Hastily straightening himself up, he grinned a little.

"Hey, guys. I wasn't…" he scratched the back of his head, "… I wasn't expecting you to be here." Xavier craned his head slightly to see behind them. "I thought this was Kori's house." Gar looked inside, then back at Xavier.

"It is." The other teen looked slightly thrown off, but regained his composure.

"Oh. So… where is she?"

------------x

April 18, 1904

A bird chirped outside the window, singing a sweet melody that was very uncharacteristic of the gray skies outside. That is, until Ace barked loudly at it, scaring it away from its perch on the tree by Richard's window.

"Please, Ace, it is _much_ too early!" The loud barking of the family dog, coupled with the chiding of their elderly butler, was enough to wake the teenager from his sleep.

Opening his eyes tiredly, he yawned and stretched his arms up, expecting them to brush against the wooden headboard. Instead, one arm felt restricted. Sleepily, he turned his head and almost choked the same instant.

Kori was hugging him!

Face beet red, he carefully removed her arms with his free arm and slipped out as quietly as possible. He landed on the floor, on his hands and knees. Richard stood up gingerly, trying not to wake his guest. Once he got a good glimpse of her, he was sure it was okay to move around freely.

Kori had nestled herself into the soft mattress, the cover keeping most of her body out of view, luckily for him. A small smile was on her face, but a few seconds it melted away, leaving her face devoid of any expression. For some reason, this disturbed him a bit, but before he had time to question this, someone knocked on his door.

"Richard, are you awake?" Uh oh. It was Bruce. His father continued, unaware of his son's panicking on the other side.

"Jade told me that you came home late last night." Richard made a mental note to give her a particularly gruesome task in the next twenty-four hours.

"Come by my study as soon as possible, I want to have a talk with you. Barbara missed you last night, so I invited them back this morning. You're not getting out of this house, young man." His tone was sharp, and the older man paused for a second.

"Richard? You are awake, aren't you?" The light, dignified knocks turned into pounds, intended to wake up whoever was in the bed. But, since Kori was the one in it at the moment, this was bad. She groaned and stirred, and Richard looked frantic. He had to get Bruce to stop.

Rushing over to the door, he gripped the knob and pressed his body against the door to muffle the pounds. The door shook slightly against his side and he tried to stop Bruce.

"Yeah, I'm up! Just… stop banging on my door, please." Bruce frowned, but backed off and looked down the hall. The household was just beginning to wake up, butlers and maids going around. He watched Alfred redirect a flustered young maid to the correct room, a smile appearing briefly on his face.

"Be down in a half hour. Actually…" Bruce glanced at his watch, noting the time. Roy would be over soon, and they might take longer than expected. He didn't look up from his watch, continuing his talk.

"Right. Make that an hour. More than enough time," he said, slightly distracted. "The Gordons will be over soon, I suggest you get ready." With that, he walked off to meet Roy in his study.

On the other side of the door, Richard looked utterly confused. What in the- oh, never mind. He had to take care of Kori first. Richard walked over to the bedside and watched her wake up.

"Miss And- I mean, uh, Kori?" She turned drowsily and tried to focus on him.

"Hmm?" Richard thought for a few seconds. He had a lot of questions buzzing around his head; he could ask her if she had any clothes, and if not did he need to get any for her, or maybe where did she come from? He decided on the former.

"Do you have anything to wear this morning?" Kori pushed herself up and shook her disheveled hair out of her face. Now he could see her upper body, and see the strap slipping off her shoulder. He wanted desperately to push it up, but that would be invading her personal space. Instead, he prompted her to answer quickly.

"Er… no, I kinda just washed up here." Her host scratched his chin. Forgot about that.

"Right. Sorry." He looked a bit sheepish, but then straightened up. Kori could tell from his posture that he meant business. Taking a seat next to her, Richard bowed his head over his clasped hands for a minute. Kori looked at him strangely, hearing the people around and below the room shuffling around. She leaned over and was about to ask him what was wrong, when his head shot up and narrowly missed hitting hers.

"Richard, are you- Ahh!" He looked to the side sharply, but his gaze softened as he noticed that he had almost collided heads.

"Oh, uh, sorry again." She smiled weakly, showing no hard feelings. He nodded and looked at the wall. Taking a deep breath, he dove in.

"Before we do anything, I want to know this: Where are you from?" The teenager looked confused.

"Eh…? I'm from Tamaran, but then I moved here to escape some civil war, and then got called _back_, and- " Richard cut her off with a wave of his hands.

"No no no, I meant, where were you before you showed up near the shore." She looked embarrassed, a tint of pink in her cheeks.

"Oh. Well, I was just visiting a spot that means a lot to me, and… And I was looking at that tree in the middle of the others, and the wind picked up and I fell in the river. I guess I blacked out and woke up… to you." The small smile on her face at this was soon replaced by a frown, her brows creasing as she thought.

"But… that wouldn't make sense. It's not that deep; I could go out the middle and it wouldn't even be knee-deep." He was about to interject when she said something that caught him off guard.

"Hey, what's up with your clothes? It looks like you came out of _Swing Kids_ or something." He looked at her skeptically.

"My clothes? That was normal clothes; what you were wearing wasn't normal clothes. And what in the world is _Swing Kids_?" She looked stupefied, and then shook her head.

"What? What is this, the fifties?" She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting a little. He resisted the urge to chuckle, settling for an amused smirk.

"No, actually, it's nineteen-oh-four." He expected her to laugh, but instead she made a funny gasping sound and after a few seconds of looking shocked and scared, fell to the side with her eyes closed. He looked at her, concerned.

"Kori?" He poked her arm and lifted one of her eyelids, before coming to the genius conclusion that…

She had passed out. Great.

------------x

Bruce sat at his large desk in his fancy study. The walls were lined with books, half of which he hadn't even read yet. The thick volumes had gold lettering on the fat spines that usually reflected the suns rays, but not today.

He looked up from the papers on his desk and looked out the window, squinting. Hm. Rain today; that meant they couldn't hold the party outside. No one would want to be outside, lest a sudden downpour occurred. No matter, nothing really good outside anyways. He returned to his planning, when a rap at the door took away his concentration.

"Master Bruce? Mr. Harper is here to see you."

"Thank you Alfred. Send him in." The door opened, revealing his faithful butler and a young man around Richard's age. The young man thanked Alfred, who nodded and slipped away to attend to the party preparations. Bruce motioned at the seat in front of him.

"Hello, Roy. I trust you're well?" Inside, the red-haired boy felt a little nervous. What if he accidentally blurted out that he- stop! 'Don't think about it and you won't say anything,' he reminded himself. He managed a grin at the billionaire.

"Very well, thank you." He settled back into the chair, folding his hands in his lap. His blue eyes roved around the room, looking anywhere but Bruce's face. "So, you wanted to talk?" Bruce's eyebrows rose skeptically.

"You know why you're here." Roy nodded awkwardly. Bruce leaned forward. "What do you know about Jade so far?"

'She's beautiful, she's funny, she's smart, she's-'

"Well, I do know that she immigrated here from Japan." The man motioned for him to continue. Roy shifted uneasily in his seat, trying to think of things that wouldn't incriminate them. "Erm… she likes to mix herbs and different… substances, she doesn't like most of the staff, not even Alfred, and she doesn't care what people think about her."

'Her favorite color is green, she likes men who can fight, she misses her homeland…'

Bruce nodded again, his chin resting on his hands that were clasped beneath it.

"But do you know why all the other maids seem to be afraid of her, or avoid her in particular?" Roy shrugged, trying to look innocent. Bruce's piercing gaze was intimidating; it made him want to spill out all the details and make Bruce stop. But Roy held it in, for her. For them.

"I have no idea. Like I said, she told me that she doesn't like the rest of the maids and doesn't care about their opinion of her."

'Or yours, for that matter.'

Bruce looked thoughtfully at Roy, scrutinizing the teenager. Roy seemed to shrink back in his seat, and he guessed that Bruce's hawk-like eyes caught it. After about a minute, he seemed to have come to a decision and looked back down at the sheaf of papers.

"Very well then. You may go. Keep an eye out." The young man stood, trying not to seem eager, bid Bruce a goodbye, and stumbled out the door.

The door shut, with Bruce's narrowed, suspicious eyes watching him go.

x------------

April 18, 2004

Xavier's looked shocked. They had taken him into the house, made sure he was sitting down, and told him all about Kori's disappearance.

"What!?" He looked quickly at Victor. His hands were gripping the sides of his chair tightly. "How long has she been missing?"

"Since last night, man." The dark-skinned teen shrugged. "We were thinking about telling Galfore, but he's not home yet." Xavier looked staggered at how calm Vic seemed.

"How can you stand there like nothing is wrong and tell me she's missing?" He stood up and leaned closer to Victor. "Why "think" about telling her father?" The upperclassman frowned but brushed it off. Not everyone knew about the Anders.

"Because he's very protective of her, and well experienced in dealing with things like this." Victor crossed his brawny arms over his arms, the look on his face clearly telling Xavier to calm down and let _him _handle it, since Victor knew Kori much better. Xavier seemed to get the message and backed off, a deadly, peaceful expression on his face.

"Then we'll look for her." He surveyed the others, his gaze firm. "Who's in?" They looked at each other for a second, and then Rachel stepped forward.

"Fine, we'll go. We were about to anyways." Xavier nodded and began heading out the door. Right as he put his hand on the knob, Gar piped up.

"Hey, before you go out and have no idea where to look, how 'bout we come up with a plan?" Reluctantly, he came back and stood with the others. Rachel took control after Xavier seemed to mellow out suddenly.

"Alright, who saw Kori last?" Xavier raised his hand. "Where were you?"

"We were outside in the parking lot near school, and I was making some plans with Kori. When we were done talking we got in our cars and went different way. Before you ask, no, I didn't see which direction she went in." Rachel sighed and rubbed her temples. This was going to be hard… and why did it have to happen today, of all days?

… Wait a minute, _today_!

"Guys, I think I know where she might be." With that, she rushed out the door, the three males exchanging glances. Gar began jogging out the door as well and voiced his confusion.

"What's got into her?" Victor easily matched Gat's pace and watched Xavier hurry to his own car.

"She's _your_ girlfriend, man."

------------x

April 18, 1904 

This was not good. Not good at all.

Richard tried vainly to get her conscious, but to no avail. She stayed still, only the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest showing that she was still alive. Half-heartedly, he pushed her side lightly. Nothing.

"Oh, why did she have to faint? It's no big deal, it's not like she's not-…" Wait a minute, this would make sense. If she wasn't from here, then… A groan from Kori broke his thoughts.

"Ooh… Galfore, _tanga esta ella krander ekalla…_" She raised herself up and rubbed her head, continuing to mutter in that exotic language that Richard found extremely fascinating. Kori's amazing green eyes opened, and for a moment she forgot all about the new information she'd been given. When her gaze landed on Richard, she looked terrified again.

"No… no, _Tanga inka betka Richard! Tanga ell, tanga ell!_" The young woman continued to murmur this frantically while distancing herself from him. He tried to reach out, grab her hand, _something_, but she edged to the end of the bed.

"It's okay, it's just me." She shook her head vehemently, scooting back farther. Unfortunately, this was the end of the mattress, and the poor girl tumbled over the side of the bed. Although, it seemed that the knock on her head returned her memory of the English language to her and a few angry words escaped her.

"Stupid bed, why don't you just…" She growled angrily, and Richard crawled over to help her. She looked startled to see his hand extended to her.

"Are you alright?" Almost numb with shock, Kori nodded and clambered back on the bed. Richard steadied her with his hands on her arms, letting go only when she seemed all right. "Now, why did you just pass out on me?" Her lips moved noiselessly for a moment, and after a few more seconds she found her voice.

"This doesn't… I think I'm about a hundred years from where I should be." Richard stared at her in disbelief.

"You're… you're kidding, right? This is just some joke?" She shook her head slowly.

"No… When I left school, it was the twenty-first century. Now I'm in the twentieth-century. How did I… this must be a dream…" Her eyes seemed to look focus for a second and she felt dizzy. Richard put a hand on her back, trying to comfort the distraught young woman.

"… I'm not sure I believe this, but right now, you are my guest. Is there anything I could do to help?" Kori swallowed, trying to hold back tears. She was stranded about a hundred years away from home, with no way to contact her friends and family and assure them that she was okay.

"I want to go home." Richard thought for a moment.

"I can't do anything about that- "

"I know." Kori rubbed her eyes, determined to stay strong. She _would _find a way home. "I'm sorry for making such a stupid request; I wasn't really thinking." She looked a bit shamefaced and looked down at her hands again. Richard found his voice again and spoke.

"I want to help you as much as I can. If you like, you could stay here." He was relieved when she looked up at him with a smile on her face. "But… I'll have to explain you to my father, Bruce. I don't know if he'll let you stay…" He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Kori looked in thought and tried to think of a plausible reason for her to stay.

"Um…" She turned to face him, sitting with her legs folded under her. "Have you ever heard of Tamaran?" He nodded cautiously. "Well, I'm sort of… part of the Royal Family. Princess Koriand'r, at your service." She smiled and did a mock-bow, and Richard looked astonished.

An actual member of the Tamerainian Royal Family? He doubted that Bruce wouldn't let her stay. He grinned unexpectedly.

"That's great! I'm sure that he wouldn't say no to someone of your status." Kori bit her lip and looked away.

"Yeah… Lucky me." The teenager looked confused until she looked back at him, normal cheer back again. "Well, since I'm staying, you're going to have to help me get used to this time period. You know, dressing and manners and music and stuff. I'm guessing that the Black Eyed Peas aren't born yet?" Richard raised an eyebrow.

"The who?"

------------x

"Come on, I just want to say hi to him; he's my best friend and Bruce keeps him inside almost all the time- "

"We are not- "

"He's going to become a social recluse if we don't get him out of there and take him out- "

"He is not- "

"I am _not _letting him end up like a hermit- "

"He WON'T!"

"Just let go already, Jennifer!" Her extremely pale blue eyes, more white-ish pink than anything, narrowed in frustration at her beau.

"Wallace West, you don't just drop in unannounced on someone! It's rude!" The boy's sky-blue eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter at her determination. Honestly, she was probably the only woman who would dare speak like this to a man.

"Since when have I ever been polite?" Ending with a grin, he continued up the long walkway to the door, consequently dragging Jennifer along with him.

The two seemed like they were made for each other, and may as well have been betrothed. Of course, mention commitment around Wally and he has a coronary. Of course, he'd stay calm longer if you mentioned Jennifer in the same sentence. He just wasn't thinking about that right now, although it was unspoken that it would probably come true. They were old enough, by Barry's standards, and that was all the permission Wally needed. Giving Wally consent would also give Jennifer consent, seeing as she had been staying with them for a long time.

Barry had become her guardian, mainly because it had seemed like a good idea to stay with Wally. She didn't want the boys she had left to come and try to get revenge, and Wally had promised that he'd take care of them if the time came. She loved him, but it was hard for her give him her trust. Although, she had placed more faith in Wally than any other person she'd ever met. That wasn't really saying much, however…

Of course, her love for Wally didn't stop her from trying to keep him from getting into trouble. That task required being with him at almost all times. Not something she really minded. But really, she thought that Richard had been a little preoccupied with his schoolwork lately, and coupled with Bruce's instructions, Jennifer was glad that there was a break from school this week. It would do the little freak good.

Jennifer's relationship with Richard was… strange, to say the least. Before she'd met Wally, she had been running with a different crowd. She hadn't been living up to everything she could do; playing maid to a group of lazy boys, and Wally had stumbled across her in her 'servitude.' After some convincing – she had always called it pestering – she had let him take her to his house, and had tried to become nicer to everyone, to fit in. She hadn't been the nicest person before.

With Wally's circle of friends, it was like Richard was the leader. He hadn't denied her, but he hadn't really said yes, either. They had settled upon an unspoken agreement; they didn't hate each other, but it was more of a sibling type of thing. They exchanged sarcastic quips every now and then. Heaven knows that they needed the intellectual stimulation of a battle of wits. But back to her boyfriend, who was currently rattling off ideas for the kidnapping of his friend.

"We could fill the mansion with gas, and then go up and grab him!" Jennifer rolled her eyes, now trying to keep him from reaching the door to knock.

"Wally, that's a ridiculous idea. Now – nrrg – stop it!" He watched her with amusement, a few chuckles escaping him. Honestly, the sight of the delicate girl pulling on his arm in vain had to look at least a little funny. A few strands of red hair managed to get free from his swept-to-the-side style and fell over his eyes.

"So you think I'll stop if I can't knock?" She huffed and swung her head to the side, flipping a stray lock of brown hair over her shoulder.

"Yes; how else could you get someone's attention?" Wally grinned, and a horrified look appeared on her face. "No… you wouldn't." Wally wiggled his eyebrows comically.

"Oh, I would." Taking a deep breath, he used his last resort.

"HEY! SOMEBODY! LET US IN!"

------------x

After having been deterred from his fun chasing the birds outside, Ace lay under the large dining room table, head on his large black paws. If dogs could sigh, this one would've. Large chocolate-brown eyes constantly flickered from one place to another, trying to decide what to do.

'Find Master? Fetch?' A floppy ebony ear perked up slightly, hearing dishes crash somewhere in the kitchen. Opening his jowls wide in a yawn, the Great Dane wiggled out from under the table and stretched.

After shaking himself sufficiently and making a few more high-pitched sounds while waking his body up, Ace trotted around the corner and up the marble stairs, nails clicking on the smooth floor. After living in the house all his life, the dog had learned how to get around fairly quickly.

Lurching over the last few steps in his haste to get upstairs, he wove his way through all the people bustling about. He had no idea of what was going on, only intent on getting to Master and getting his game. He reached to door, almost getting smacked in the snout as it swung open swiftly and a tall figure emerged.

'Boy?' No, it wasn't Boy. Boy didn't smell like anyone else, he smelled… like nothing Ace had ever encountered before. This was – Ace sniffed experimentally – a friend of Boy's. He looked almost like Boy, but the only fur on him was shades lighter than Boy's. This was Boy Two. The human looked down to see what he had almost hit and looked apologetic.

"Sorry Ace," he said, reaching to scratch behind his ears, "I was just in a hurry. Your master," the male jerked a thumb over his shoulder and made a face. "He scares me a little. You're lucky he doesn't interrogate you." Ace, unable to comprehend the language that was far different from his own, settled for cocking his head to the side and letting his tongue loll out, panting happily. The boy chuckled and rubbed the furry head affectionately.

"Hey, Ace…" the dog turned attentive and looked up at Boy Two. "Have you," he looked around to make sure no one would eavesdrop or accidentally overhear him, "have you seen Jade around anywhere?" Ace, of course, couldn't tell Jade from Alfred because he didn't know their names. However, he did smell a different scent on Boy Two's clothes; a female's, perhaps. The scent seemed recognizable; she was probably a frequent guest of the house. Did Boy Two want him to find her?

"Eh, it's okay, I'll find her on my own. You probably have things to do, right boy?" The adolescent chuckled, and with a final absentminded pat on the head, meandered down the hallway, peeking in open doors for the female who was – what Ace assumed – his mate.

Forgetting about it altogether, the canine nudged open the door with his dark, wet nose and walked in quietly. The large eyes rolled around, taking in the familiar surroundings. Towering rectangles with smaller rectangles inside it, a large ball on a stand, paper, and…

'Master!' Ace padded up to him and nudged his leg happily. The recognized face looked up from whatever had captured his attention, a bit startled. Catching sight of Ace, a brief smile appeared on his face and he gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ears as Boy Two had done. Ace panted contentedly and laid his head on Master's knee, turning it towards the desk and all the meaningless scribbles on the papers. Master let out a quiet laugh.

"So, you want to help with the party, Ace?" Ace looked outside and then back at Master, whining. Master followed his gaze and saw the outdoors, sun shining on through the dark gray clouds.

"You want to go out and play?" The Great Dane let out a corroboratory "wuff!" and wagged his tail. However, the look on Master's face was enough to slow it down a bit in confusion, ears drooping from their raised position.

"Awroo?" The humorous sound the dog made Master's lips twitch upwards, but he shook his head.

"Sorry boy, but I can't. I'm too busy, and it's going to rain soon. You'll get wet, and I know Alfred won't be too happy about that." Of course, the butler loved the dog as much as the rest of the family, so Ace knew that the Old One – never mind this "Alfred" person – wouldn't be upset. Another pat on the head; he guessed that meant no fetch. His tail stopped wagging and his ears lowered. Bruce gave the dog's back a good rub and took a glance back out the window.

"How about you find someone else to do it? The party's tonight. In fact, do me a favor and wake up Richard. That boy stays in bed longer than Oliver does." Master shook his head with some exasperation and sighed, turning back to the undecipherable characters. Ace took the hint and left, sniffing around. Maybe he could convince Boy to play with him.

It was going to be feeding time soon, and Ace assumed that Boy would be near the big room where it was all kept. Jogging down the long main hallway on the first floor, he sniffed around. Garlic, bread, fruits, other spices, but no Boy. Ace continued to saunter down the hall, occasionally getting a few pets here and there from young maids who thought he was "adorable," whatever that meant.

Just when he thought there was nothing to do and no one to play with, he heard something that made him jerk his head up and let his tongue hang out of the side of his mouth, breath coming in happy pants.

"HEY! SOMEBODY! LET US IN!"

He scrambled around, turning tail on the rest of the hall and began running back down the long stretch of tile to get to the door. It was a straight shot, and he barked loudly and happily as he galloped.

The Old One, who had been carrying a tray at the time, was near the door and heard the clatter of paws and the booming barks. He set the tray down and hurried after Ace once the dog had passed him and he thought to stop him.

"Ace! Please, not at the guests!" Ace knew this wasn't a guest; this was Fast Boy. He was the one that would always race him while Boy and the other members of Boy's pack watched. He could recognize that voice almost as well as he could Boy's.

The door loomed up in front of the dog's eyes and it looked like he was grinning. After letting out a few more happy woofs, he began to try to stop. Unfortunately, his paws could gain no traction on the slick floors, sending him into a spin as he vainly struggled to stop his sliding.

Front paws between his hind ones in a sitting position, he barreled down the strip, spinning comically. A maid passing by a doorway saw his confused face and heard what he had to say.

"Awruff?" The large oak door was coming up quickly. Closing his eyes, ears flying out behind him, Ace and braced himself for impact.

**THUD**.

------------x

Wally and Jennifer stopped bickering and looked at the door with identical expressions of 'what just happened?' written all over their faces. Jennifer glared at Wally, who smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders. A weak whimper came from the other side of the door.

"Whoops?"

------------x

Richard and Kori sat on the bed, facing each other. Kori had her knees tucked under her neatly and was listening intently. Her sea green eyes widened when he causally mentioned that she was wearing a slip, not a nightgown. A blush formed.

"W-what? Why didn't you tell me?" Richard rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. Truth was, he kind of liked her in it, but that was just… wrong. Those were bad thoughts, dirty thoughts.

"Well… You just seemed so comfortable in it, I didn't want to say anything." Five points for the half-truth. "But don't worry; I'll make sure that you get some suitable clothes this time." She smiled and hopped out of the bed, looking out of the window. Bracing her hands on the sill, she sighed and peered out.

"Oh, Richard… The view here is amazing." She continued to look out and squint in the late-morning sun. He walked up behind her, trying to follow her gaze.

"Where was your house?" Kori started and turned around halfway. After seeing him so close, her cheeks flushed lightly.

"Huh?" He continued to stare out the window, unperturbed, looking as if he was in deep thought. Richard turned his head slightly.

"Your house; I'm assuming that you live somewhere around here?" Understanding dawned on her and she nodded.

"Oh! Yes, I lived right over there." She pointed out the window to a large grassy field near the one by the forest. Her finger moved on the glass to point on the open space by the trees.

"That was where my best friend used to live… Funny, his name was Richard, too." He unclasped his hands from behind his back, but otherwise stayed still. Kori continued, half-sounding like she was talking to only herself.

"His house was so close, I would always run over to play the moment out moms agreed to it." She smiled sadly, her voice turning wistful. "We'd have contests to see who was faster all the time. Sometimes I let him win, just because he was a sore loser." An image of a little boy, pouting and claiming that he let _her _win appeared in her mind's eye for a brief second, evaporating just as quickly.

"Whatever happened to him?"

"… I don't know." Whatever response Richard had to this was gone in a second when he spotted two figures coming up the pathway. Red and brown, the sounds of a small squabble floating into the room from below. Wally and Jennifer. Not good.

"Uh, how about we get dressed?" She seemed surprised at him when she turned around, expecting him to be at least a little sympathetic. He saw the look in her eyes and promised himself that he'd apologize later.

"Do you mind waiting on the bed for a moment while I get dressed?" She shook her head and sat on it, drawing the hangings around herself. Kori sat Indian-style and let her eyes adjust to the loss of light while Richard rushed over to his wardrobe, trying not to sound too hurried.

While Richard speedily pulled the pajama pants off and wrestled on his trousers, Kori rolled her eyes around the empty frame aimlessly. If this was the twentieth century, what did they do for fun? What had been invented that was still around – in some form – in her time?

… That sounded kind of weird, and Kori stopped thinking about it. Wrapping her mind around the fact that she had gone a hundred year in the past was hard enough. She really wished she had paid more attention in History, but Mr. Mod was just so… freakishly eccentric, to put it nicely. Better than clinically insane. Why did they even let him teach? Why was she thinking about that at a time like this? Why-

"Could you please put this on the pillows?" A shirt was thrust through the curtains, and as she took it she got a glimpse of his bare arm, noticing the muscles. She took the shirt and collected her slightly scattered wits, putting it on the rumpled pillow, as asked.

"Are you done yet?" Tucking the locket inside his white shirt, he finished up the rest of the buttons and slipped the trouser straps over his shoulders. Grabbing a tan waistcoat from the drawer, he went back over to the door and made sure no one was nearby. The coast was clear, and he ran across the hall.

After Talia had died, Bruce had everything moved to a spare room, clothes and all. He didn't like looking at her things and being reminded of her death, so the room had all of Richard's mother's clothes neatly folded in the drawers and large, musty closet, along with the rest of her things. This would probably come in handy for Kori, even though they might be a little big.

As fast as he could, Richard yanked open the doors and his sapphire eyes searched rapidly over the starched dresses hanging in the closet and pulling out a green one as fast as he could without taking much more time to think about it. From the wardrobe, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath to brace himself, and reached to pull out a corset and the other undergarments, feeling somewhat ashamed of his behavior.

Wrapping it in the soft green cloth, he raced across the hall and slammed the door shut with his back against it, panting slightly. No one had caught him. A small, triumphant smirk worked its way over his face.

Sweet.

------------x

"So, how do I put it on?"

Kori and Richard looked at the corset in confusion. How did women _wear_ these things? Kori picked it up and looked at the back.

It looked to have been white at one time, and the thin layer of dust gave it the appearance of being a light, tawny color. White ribbon had been laced in the front, most likely for decoration. She hit it against the bed, sending up the dust and making her sneeze. Richard waved it away and looked amused while she sniffed and tried to get it under control.

"Okay, I think I'm good." She rubbed her itchy nose and then turned her attention back to the corset. Yep, it looked exactly like it did in the books. Too bad she hadn't bothered with the captions.

Tentatively, she pulled at the laces. After a few seconds, she unlaced it enough for her to get in it and pulled the metal hooks in the back out. She looked to Richard for clarification.

"Is this how you do it?" He gave a helpless shrug.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Letting out a frustrated sigh, she put it down and picked up the long skirt, which Richard had referred to as a petticoat. It also looked like it had come out of a textbook.

Holding it to her waist, Kori glanced down at the bottom of the thin skirt. It hovered somewhere around her ankles. She sighed and looked at the rest of the things on the bed that had to be put on.

The things women did for beauty these days…

She glanced over at Richard, who was still looking at the things on the bed and silently thanking God that he wasn't a woman. She coughed to get his attention, and when he didn't move aside from turning his head to her, she tilted her head to the side.

"Well?" Richard looked confused.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to turn around?" He suddenly realized what she was talking about and nodded quickly, fighting the flush that was climbing up his neck.

After making sure he couldn't see anything, Kori pulled the petticoat on. The slip overlapped it and she caught a glance of herself in the mirror positioned by Richard's wardrobe. She smiled, liking the look. However, Richard had told her that the definition of casual here was something entirely different. No slips.

Sighing, she picked up the corset and, with some hesitation, pulled the slip over her head. Her face was red, even though she knew Richard couldn't see anything. It just felt so… _weird_.

She suppressed the feeling and wrapped the surprisingly stiff material around her chest, then holding it in place while she tightened the laces again. It was designed to help make a women look more curvy and slim, but seeing as Kori was already this, it didn't really do much. It just felt like she'd wrapped an itchy, rigid towel around herself.

Now, Kori was not gifted with being double jointed, or whatever let you contort your arms around to use them behind your back. So she reluctantly called Richard's name.

"Richard, could you help me with something?" He didn't turn around, unsure if she was clothed or not.

"What is it?"

"Well," she bit her lip before continuing. She hated putting him on the spot like this, but there was no other way. "Could you hook up the back of this?"

This got him to turn around, and when he got a look at her he half wished he hadn't.

Her hand was splayed across her back, trying to hold it closed. The sides overlaid slightly, one side crooked while the other was where it should be to match the other. Part of the smooth skin of her back was visible, and a few parts were lighter.

Tan lines… 

Of course, right now he was too preoccupied to care about whatever that phrase meant. Richard swallowed convulsively and felt the blush from earlier resurface.

"Uh – I – You - " He tried to get the right words to come out, and after a few more moments of stuttering he walked over. "Alright," he said, trying to return to his normal composed attitude. Of course, that had left him the moment Kori had washed up on shore.

Hands shaking slightly, he raised them to the small metal hooks – he didn't really care what they were called at the moment – and, with fumbling fingers, managed to attach the sides to one another. Standing back a good distance, Richard smiled uneasily.

"There." He was just glad it had been quick. "That was easier than I thought it would be; you almost don't need one of those." This wasn't meant as an insult, seeing as a girl anywhere in the house would probably take it as a compliment. However, Kori was from the twenty-first century where people didn't wear corsets, they got liposuctions.

And she was did not take it as a compliment.

Back stiffening, Kori looked at Richard over her shoulder. He was surprised to see an indignant look on her face, anger and hurt mixed in there as well.

"'Almost don't need it'?" Turned the wide, wounded eyes away from Richard, she crossed the room to gaze over the other items spread on the bed. Richard watched her every move, feeling that he'd offended her in some way. But her eyes…

That look she'd sent him, it made him feel so…_ horrible. _If she ever gave him that look again, he- he couldn't stand it. The best idea was just to try not to upset her again, which was what he was going to aim for. He followed her arms as she picked up another piece of clothing, turning around and looking at him somewhat embarrassedly.

"Um… I think this was supposed to go on first."

------------x

Once she was finally dressed, Richard was pleased with her appearance. Her red hair went very well with the deep shade of emerald material that made her dress.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the room and into the halls and hurried down the carpeted turns that he knew so well. Kori, however, was astounded at the beautiful interior.

What had happened to this place? Back home, she had no recollection of an old house anywhere near hers. Of course, it could be in the woods that had taken over some of the property down her road. After hearing Komi tell her about a 'scary, huge monster' that made you go deaf with a scream from its enormous, electric-blue mouth, Kori had abandoned all thought of going in there. That, and Victor, whom she trusted more, said that there were hobos that hung out there. Still, the monster…

Coming back to the present as she almost tumbled down the steps, Kori's grip on Richard's hand tightened and she tried to keep up, but these stupid dresses were holding her back. And those boots; why make them lace-up leather? Poor cows. Gar would have a fit if he knew what she was wearing.

Richard ignored the bewildered stares of the staff as he raced down the stairs to get to the door. He had it all planned out; he'd go to the door, place Kori outside it, and have her ring the doorbell. Then, when he opened the door, he'd pretend to be surprised to find the Princess of Tamaran on their doorstep, looking for a place to stay. Bruce couldn't say no to that. It was foolproof. Of course, he had to get her down there first.

'Almost there, almost there, almost- " A shout shot his plans to pieces.

"HEY! SOMEBODY! LET US IN!"

Richard groaned and tried to hurry down the steps; if he could get there, hide Kori somewhere, and get the door before anyone else he could still make it work. He saw another complication over the banister.

Ace was sliding down the hallway.

Wincing as the poor thing ran into the door and ignoring Kori's small sound of distress at the animal, he continued down the stairs. Only until he was standing at the door did he realize that they had passed Alfred.

Swearing, he knocked his head against the door and let it rest there for all of two seconds until it was flung open, consequently getting hit in the head and falling on the floor with a grunt. Dizzily looking up, he saw the forms of Wally and Jennifer coming in, Wally's arms cupped around his mouth to amplify his already loud mouth.

"WE COME IN PEACE. WE JUST WANT- Hey, Richard! Uh, what're you doing down there?" Jennifer looked from the sprawled boy to his friend. A second later her hand hit the back of his head.

"Wally! You hit him in the head!" The redhead stopped rubbing his head and looked down at Richard, alarmed.

"What!? Oh, I'm so sorry, buddy!" He was about to lend him a hand up when Kori, who had been flabbergasted at everything that had just happened in the past fifty seconds, quickly took a seat next to Richard. She leaned over him, trying to see if he was all right.

"Richard? Richard!" He groaned, opening his eyes and shaking his tender head.

"Ouch… Ugh, what hit me?" Wally, perplexed as to who this girl who was attending was, raised an finger sheepishly.

"Um, that would be me." He offered a pacifying smile while Richard glared. The blue-eyed boy relented after a few moments, too tired and too fond of Wally to keep it up.

"Makes sense." His head went back into Kori's lap.

"Richard, who is she?" Bruce's voice, clearly angry, cut into his mind like a knife.

His eyes snapped open for the second time that day, startled. Richard jumped up, Kori rising as well. She held her elbow and moved a little closer to Richard, uncomfortable of the stares of everyone gathered around them.

Richard faced a different problem; Bruce's own glare. It was much worse than his own, icy and intimidating. When his son simply stared at him with a deer-in-the-headlights look, Bruce sighed and repeated himself.

"Richard, _who is she_? We're not supposed to have any visitors." Sweating slightly under the pressure, Richard's mind went on overdrive. His father, friends, staff, and even Ace were staring at him expectantly, waiting for his explanation. Kori scooted closer to him, as if she could hide herself from everyone by standing behind him. Richard took a deep breath and managed to get his brain working again, at least well enough to blurt out the response he had prepared.

"This is Kori. She's the Princess of Tamaran, and she's going to be staying here for a while."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Ace, or any other characters mentioned here, Both Sides Of Time by Caroline B. Cooney, _Swing Kids_, the Black Eyed Peas, or anything else mentioned that you know about. 

**Authoress' Note:** WHOO! I AM NOW FOURTEEN AS OF TODAY! 8D Also, I'm now the proud owner of my very own iPod Nano. That, and some various Batman stuff. Add the yearbook signing party, a congrats party for this one kid who went to some National Math Competition with free food, and it being rainy outside. So yeah, I'm a happy 'Stine. ;D

About what Kori was saying: basically she was just repeating that Richard was "just a dream." She woke up and though she was back home for a second, and that part was equal to "Galfore, I just had the strangest dream." PM me if you want to know exactly what Jade was saying, because I have to dig out the book where I got the phrases from. ;

And I'm sorry for the long wait for an update. But with all the side dish stuff, like RoyJade, JennWally, Ace, and all that, it took a while. Quite long, actually; it's sixteen pages. I wasn't originally going to do anything with Ace, but after watching Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, I fell in love with Ace. Now I want to get a Great Dane and name it Ace. :3

In case you don't know, _Swing Kids_ is a cool movie we watched in Jazz Band about the swing scene in Nazi Germany. At least, that's what it said on the box, I think. IT HAS CHRISTIAN BALE IN IT. If we watched it now, I'd be jumping all over the room in paroxysms of happiness. xD

I know I said Kori would be getting ready for a ball, but I've already introduced a bunch of new characters. That and the Gordons will have to be put off, _again_, until next chapter. This was already getting longer than usual. This'll tide you over until next time, right? Consider it my birthday gift to all of you.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I still have to finish decorating a cake for a project for Great Expectations in Language Arts class. We have no good tin foil to cover it with. -.-;;; Gah, I can't stop listening to Heal Me, I'm Heartsick by No Vacancy from School of Rock. (None of which I own, by the way.) I can't listen to it without wanting to say "I'm hungry, in E minor G." xDD Updates might be slow with finals next week.

I loved writing the scene with Ace. xP

- Christine


	6. Chapter 5: Loving and Looking

**The Hourglass**

Chapter Five: Loving and Looking

April 18, 1904

Roy poked his head in a room, hoping to see the dark-haired girl standing inside, hands on her hips, waiting for him.

Nothing.

He frowned and shut the door, returning to the hallway. Where was she? This was the right day, wasn't it? She didn't forget, did-

A hand shot out from a door to his right and pulled him inside by the collar. Green eyes gazed into blue, smiling. "Hello Roy."

A relived smiled formed on his face as he placed his hands on the wall, just above her shoulders and trapping her against it. "Where've you been? I've been looking for you all- "

A slim finger pressed against his lips, cutting off whatever else he had to say. "Talk later. Kiss now."

He took her hand in his, removing her finger, and pressed his lips to hers.

Roy liked Jade for many reasons, but one of the big ones was how she kissed. She wasn't shy about it, like others girls who would blush at even a kiss on the cheek, much less one on the mouth. No, Jade would be reckless when she showed affection, licking his lips and slipping her tongue into his mouth as she was doing now.

Her hands ran up his chest and one draped around his neck, the other running through his orange hair. He left her lips to kiss her neck softly, listening to her breathing deepen.

"Roy…" She sighed, feeling shivers of pleasure go up and down her spine. Another thing about her that Roy loved were the things she had taught him, mostly about kissing. If only Ollie could see him now.

Jade whispered into his ear something in his ear, making him moan softly in response. He had grown accustomed to her saying small phrases or words of endearment while caught up in the passion. He kissed her again, only to feel her grimace against his lips.

"What?" he asked, concerned.

She looked up at him, a tired, half-hearted smile on her face for his benefit. "Nothing. I've just been feeling a bit under the weather lately. I'm fine." Jade made a move to kiss him, but he moved his head back a little.

"No, I'm worried about you. This has been going on the last few days; what's wrong?"

She couldn't help but admire how cute he looked when he was anxious; his brows creased, that soft look his eyes held… He pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear that had been falling over her face.

She turned her head away. "Roy, I said that I was fine. Can't you leave it at that?"

A shadow crossed over his face, and as he was about to say something, a loud crash and other clamoring sounded from downstairs. His blue eyes glinted in the dim light. She could tell that he wasn't going to let it go.

"Come on. We should see what's going on," he muttered, turning and walking out quickly.

x------------

April 18, 2004

Gar and Victor clutched at the sides of their seats. Victor's eyes darted over to Gar.

"Man, tell me again why I let her drive my car?"

Rachel, looking somewhat comical as she sat in the large bucket seat, was driving at what couldn't be a legal speed. Her brows were creased in concentration as she almost ran a red light, Xavier right behind them.

Gar managed to peel himself off the seat and leaned forward to talk to Rachel. "Mind telling where we're heading?"

Her eyes never left the road. That was a good thing, considering that if she did, she'd be likely to run something over. "Richard's house."

His expression quickly morphed into shock. They hadn't been there for almost eight years, having stopped their group visit long ago. It was their was of showing that they had let go. This made it clear that Kori had not.

"I- she- it- WHAT!?" he stammered in disbelief. "We haven't been there in years!"

"Kori has."

x------------

Rachel slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision with one of the trees in the surrounding forest. Xavier's black car almost rammed into the back of Vic's, making the driver lurch forward and hit his head on the wheel.

Cursing under his breath, he stepped out and looked around. What was this place? He strode over to Rachel quickly.

"Why are we here?" he asked Rachel as she climbed out. She shut the door, not looking at him as she hurried into the forest. Frowning, he turned coolly and faced Gar and Vic, who were climbing out of the car hastily to follow Rachel.

"What's with the haunted house?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder

Large green eyes turned sorrowfully on him. "This was our friend's old house. He was Kori's best friend."

Xavier looked slightly astonished, but he maintained his composure and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then what happened to him?"

Vic put a hand on Gar's shoulder and began leading them after the path Rachel had taken. He sighed. "It was only a little while after Kori had turned four… Everyone was over at Richard's house," he pointed over his shoulder at the "haunted house" and continued. "They were just playing, goofing off and all that stuff little kids do." Vic chuckled, remembering what a kick he had gotten out of teasing Richard about how much Kori "like-liked" him.

"Anyways, she was showing us this new locket that she got for her birthday, and I was trying to keep Gar from eating it so I didn't really see what happened, but next thing you know the little klepto has the locket and starts playing 'Keep-Away' with her."

Xavier raised an eyebrow, not at what Vic had said but at the little trinkets he kept stepping on in the grass.

"She started laughing and chasing him, and none of the adults tried to stop because they thought Richard and Kori were just playing tag and being cute. They were a little worried when they went into the trees, but Mr. Grayson thought that– "

"Wait, you mean the Mr. Grayson that died in that freak accident at Haley's Gym? He was Richard's dad?"

Vic nodded, looking at Gar, who had his hands in his coat pockets. The chilly wind made Vic hug his own large Jump City High hoodie around his body, zipping up the navy front. "Yep. His parents taught him gymnastics there, and when he was with us he would always be hanging upside down or doin' backfilps or something. That's why when Kori came out screaming that Richard fell into the water, everyone started worrying, 'cause he wouldn't loose his balance that easily.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grayson went in there first, right after they heard what Kori said. Then it was up to the rest of the parents to round up a search party by asking all the neighbors. A lot of them helped out, but no one could find him. We assumed he drowned in the water and was swept away, although we never found a body."

Xavier walked along, shoulders hunched. Kori had a best friend, and a boy no less, before he came? A frown creased his forehead as he continued alongside the other two. Opening his mouth, he almost slipped on something underfoot.

Catching his balance again, he bent down to pick up whatever he had stepped upon. A tattered driver's license with a faint footprint stared up at him. "'Michael Jon Carter'… Who's he?" Xavier looked up at the other boys, who came to look over his shoulder.

Gar shrugged. "I dunno; I was only three when this happened. I bet it's one of the neighbors', since a lot of people were in here and lost a bunch of stuff while they were looking. We would always find it when we played here. Of course, that wasn't often…" He trailed off, looking at Vic for clarification.

The older teen took the card and squinted at it. "Says he lives just down the road. You want to go give the old man his card back?"

Xavier took it and looked up at Vic. "Who says he's old?"

Taking the card, Vic showed Xavier the stats on it. "See? 'Age: 49; Expires: 2003.' That means he's probably in his sixties now. Pay attention to detail." He let go of the card and began walking away.

Xavier watched them go, then looked back at the card.

'Maybe he saw Kori yesterday… And if I find her myself…' A plan formed in his head.

"Okay, I'll meet you guys back by the cars."

x------------

They watched Xavier hurry off, turning their backs and going in their own direction. They were relatively quiet, both in their own thoughts, before Gar spoke up.

"Vic?"

"Mm?"

"What do you think happened to Kori?"

"… I honestly have no idea. Maybe she got lost or something."

Gar's eyes were filled with anxiety. "What if… What if she was kidnapped? Or…" He couldn't bring himself to name a fate worse than being kidnapped.

Vic frowned at him and then faced forward again. "She can take care of herself. 'Member the one time we saw Kori fight with Komi?"

A smile formed on Gar's face. "Man, that was awesome. But now that I think about it, it would've been cooler if they'd been in a mud pit." A dreamy look crossed his face, making Vic cuff him lightly with a smile on his face. He laughed quietly; Gar always knew how to lighten up the mood.

"How about you ask Rachel if she and Karen would fight in the middle of a mud pit? I'd watch that." They both chuckled, but it faded away as they came upon Rachel.

She was wandering slowly over the ground, looking around as if she was in a trance. The thunder overhead rumbled while the wind blew harder. Shivering slightly, she folded her arms tightly across her chest and turned to face the restless waters of the river.

Starting slightly as arms wrapped around her and a warm body was pressed against her back, Rachel turned her head to see Gar looking down at her, eyes full of concern.

"Cold?"

She shook her head and turned it back, seeming to stare at nothing. "No," she said softly. "Not anymore."

He hummed in acknowledgement, still watching her out of the corner of his eye. "So, find anything?"

Turning out of his embrace, she watched Vic study the strange tree in the middle. It was the only thing that supported Kori's hysterical explanation. She shook her head, the wind whipping her hair around her face.

"Nothing." She sighed and looked down. "I don't even know why I thought of looking here. I mean, what would she be doing here?" Gar shifted beside her, and her gaze flicked to the river.

"You don't think…" She trailed off, looking up at Gar for reassurance. He shook his head vehemently, gripping her hand.

"She's stronger than that," he murmured, recalling his own doubt. It was just hard not to imagine the worst; was she out there somewhere, lost, hurt, or even dead? Shuddering slightly, he shook those thoughts away as Vic approached them.

"No sign of her." He scratched his head and looked at Rachel. "What'd you expect to find here, anyways?" His tone was merely curious, as Gar's had been.

"I don't know. I just thought…" Rachel let out a breath and began to walk back. "Never mind. Let's just check her car and then go back to the house. It's almost two."

x-------------

Gar pressed his face up to the window. "How're we gonna get in?" Stepping back, he let Vic begin to try the doors.

Each one was locked, staying put even as he strained. All his muscles from football did nothing to help him, and he finally gave up after a minute. "No use; it's locked. Kori's the only one with keys, so- "

A sudden beep from the car startled them both. Looking behind them, they saw Rachel dangle a key with a smirk on her face. Gar let out an inward sigh of relief at seeing her smirk; it meant she was feeling a little bit better.

"How about we try this instead of acting like cavemen?" Walking between them, she inserted the key into the small hole near the handle.

The car beeped once, then made a soft _thunk _as the locks popped up. Her slightly smug expression was reflected in the window as she pulled the door open, sliding inside and began looking through the car. "That's strange…"

Gar poked his head in while Vic went around and sat in the passenger seat. "What?"

Rachel's brows creased and she pointed to the clock set into the dashboard. "This clock says it's five to twelve, but that's not even close to the right time."

Vic leaned over and began to inspect the dashboard. "Hmm. Well, maybe she came in here, wanted to pay a little visit to the spot where he died, and didn't think it would take that long and left the car running. She disappears, leaving the car running, and the battery dies."

"But there was no key in here, remember?" Rachel put her key in the ignition and turned it.

The car roared to life, surprising Gar and making him almost drop Kori's purse, which he had been shifting through. The items spilled out onto the ground and Gar bent down to retrieve them.

Pulling out the key, Rachel sat back in the seat and frowned. This didn't make sense; why would the clock freeze, but the battery still be charged. She rubbed her forehead, trying to think. _It's like it froze there…_

"Hey guys, check this out!"

Gar's voice intruded on her thoughts, making her snap her eyes open and glance sideways at him. "What?"

He joined them in the car, causing Rachel to scoot over to make room.

Holding out his closed fist, he opened it to reveal the cell phone in the palm of his hand. The small display on the front showed the time, which had also stuck at five to twelve. Rachel took the phone from him, staring at it.

"Weird. It's still working. See?" Pressing a few buttons to get to voicemail, they listened to Rachel's message play back. Rachel caught the look on Gar's face, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

Gar massaged his head and closed his eyes. "Wait; I'm trying to figure out when all this happened."

Vic chuckled. "What, too much thinking hurt that little brain of yours?" he teased.

Gar couldn't stop from retaliating. "My brain isn't little! I had a 3.0 on the last report card so HA!" Grinning triumphantly, he looked over at Rachel. Instead of siding with one of the boys, her own eyes had closed and she was muttering calculations under her breath.

"Okay, I think I've worked out a rough timeline of things. School ended at four, and let's say Xavier talking to her took up ten minutes. She leaves, take about twenty minutes to get here, so that'd make it about half past four.

"Then she spends around a half hour here, and whatever happened to her happens. That mean's whatever did happen took place between five and midnight, since she didn't get my call and that's after the time everything froze at, and we can't really report her as a missing person since said person hasn't been even missing for a day yet. That just means we'll have to look for her ourselves." She looked over at Vic and Gar.

"Got that?"

Gar shook his head slowly. "Um… not really."

She sighed and moved over his lap to get out of the car. "You're lucky you're cute, Gar."

As the boys exited the car as well, Gar with a pleased little smile on his face, Xavier came up to them with a troubled look on his own face.

The small trio watched him walk up to his car, apparently deep enough in thought that he forgot that the others were there. Vic strode over to the boy as he was about to start the car.

"Uh, Xavier?"

The teenager looked up, seemingly coming out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, hey."

Vic gave him a wary look. "You okay there? You seem kind of out of it."

Xavier shook his head. "I'm fine; I just had a little trouble with that guy. It's fine now though. Sorry to bail out on you guys so suddenly, but I have to go do some stuff. I'll see you around."

They watched the black car peel out, then race down the dirt road. After wondering what could make him change his plans that fast, they headed back to Vic's car to go figure out what to do about Galfore.

------------x

April 18, 1904

Bruce raised an eyebrow, looking at Kori, who was at the moment hiding behind Richard. He cleared his throat. "Miss Anders?"

Her attention snapped to him, instantly knowing that he was head of the house. "Yes, that is me," she said quietly. She felt Richard reach behind his back to grip her hand and tug it gently for her to stand beside him. As she did so, Bruce looked her over.

"You're the Princess of Tamaran?"

She dipped her head. "Princess Koriand'r. I believe I am the… delegate, yes?"

Bruce looked mildly surprised. "I didn't know that they were sending a delegate."

"I suppose that our message did not come through as soon as we had hoped. I was sent, for we assumed that it would reach you before I did. Apparently, it did not." Her hands twisted together nervously behind her back, before she brought them in front of her and clasped them. "My apologies. I did not intend to intrude."

He waved her apology away and stepped closer. "Hmm… _Getha'r…_" He paused, trying to remember the correct translations._ "…Est try'sta, serata kanta?_"

A relieved look crossed her face before she rearranged it into one suited for her status. "_Teka. Kryl'a beta est, trak refta het._" A small, welcoming smile appeared on Bruce's face and he took her hand.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Miss Anders." He kissed the back of her hand politely, then turned to Alfred.

"Alfred, please show our guest to her room."

Kori curtsied. "My thanks to you, Mr. Wayne."

The butler nodded to Bruce and led her off, beginning to chat quietly to her. The rest of the crowd had dispersed, leaving Richard and Bruce alone in the hallway.

Richard turned, ready to bolt, when Bruce called him back.

"Richard."

Mentally heaving a resigned sigh, he faced Bruce, knowing what was coming.

"My office. Now."

------------x

Richard took a seat in the large chair, ready for interrogation. His mind spun, trying to get a story in order while Bruce took a seat in his own black leather chair. It made no squeak as he shifted it to face Richard. His fingertips pressed together.

"What was that all about?" he asked sharply

"Well… Wally and Jennifer had just dropped by earlier, and I was standing near the door when Wally opened it to let her in."

"She was the one who yelled "let us in" and made Ace bark like mad?" He sounded skeptical. Richard fought the urge to rub his neck; any signs that he was uncomfortable and Bruce would suspect something.

"Wally was the once who yelled, and I did let him in, but when she came to the door only moments after them, that's when Ace barked."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "So you're saying that Wally and Jennifer were just seconds ahead of her? Then why didn't you see her and keep the door open?"

His son shrugged. "I didn't see her; they were right in front of her, like I said."

Bruce leaned back, still not taking his gaze off Richard. "Alright then. So she had your head in her lap because…" He left it open for Richard to finish.

"Wally opened the door too quickly and it hit me. She just wanted to see if I was okay."

Bruce's brows drew together, working it out. Richard waited anxiously for the verdict.

"It's a stretch…" Richard's hopes were dashed, until Bruce spoke again. "But I'll believe it. For now. Any other unannounced visitors will not be allowed to stay. Miss Anders is an exception because she is royalty, although I have no idea why we didn't receive the telegram before her arrival."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, a younger butler opening the door.

The young Irish gentleman tipped his dark-haired head respectfully before addressing Bruce. "Master Bruce, Mr. Gordon and his daughter are here to see you."

Bruce nodded. "Tell them I'll be down in a moment."

"Aye, sir." With that, he left them be, shutting the door behind him.

Bruce stood and walked out from behind the desk. Richard got up as well, taking it as a sign that this was over. Just as he reached the knob, he felt Bruce grip his shoulder and turn him around.

"Just remember this Richard: Barbara is here now, and I don't want her getting any ideas about you and Miss Anders. But," he sighed and ran a hand though his dark hair. "I'm going to have to have you show her around. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble, and show her the best of America."

Richard nodded, but still had something as he stepped out. "I didn't know you spoke Tamerainian."

Bruce stepped into the hall. "I dabble."

------------x

"Ah, Bruce, nice to see you again."

Bruce shook hands with the middle-aged man. "Jim, how are you?"

The man, James "Jim" Gordon, scratched his dark hair that had a few streaks of gray in it. Some of them were from the steadily increasing stress of his new promotion to Police Commissioner, but a good amount were from age. The blue eyes were still sharp as a hawk behind the glasses.

"I'm holding up." Smiling, he shook hands with Richard as well. "How are you, m'boy?" Letting Jim pump his arm up and down, Richard offered a smile.

"I'm well." At the look Bruce gave him, he continued. "Is Barbara here, sir?"

Jim nodded and turned around. "Yes, she was just saying hello to Wallace and Jennifer is all. Barbara! Richard's here today."

A girl, talking quietly with her fellow redhead, looked up, a smile appearing on her face at the sight of Richard. "Richard!" She was by her father's side in an instant. "Where were you yesterday? I missed you," she told him.

He gave her the same smile. "I was a bit busy, I'm afraid."

She crossed over to him, bright blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Looping her arm though his, she smiled up at him. "You're always busy."

"Well, now that I've got time, would you like to take a walk?"

Their fathers watched from a small distance, giving the couple their space.

Barbara nodded her head. "I'd love to."

As they walked off and Jim turned around to follow Bruce into his office, Richard turned around and shot his father a pleading look. Bruce shrugged, giving him a look that said 'You should be doing this anyway' back.

Richard turned around, mentally sighing. How was he going to get to Kori now?

"Richard, is everything alright? You look a bit stressed…"

He snapped out of his thoughts as Barbara spoke up. "No, I'm fine. This week off should do me good."

She leaned into his side as they exited into the garden behind the house.

------------x

"My thanks to you once again; this room is very beautiful."

The butler nodded with a small smile. "It's quite alright, Miss Anders. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." He bowed respectfully and exited the room. "Please enjoy your stay in the Americas."

She nodded, smiling weakly, and fell backwards onto the bed once he was gone.

_X'hal… How did I get into this mess? Oh, right, that tree…_

Suddenly she remembered her key. Her hand flew to her neck, feeling nothing. That was odd; where did it go?

_As a matter of fact, what happened to everything else? There were some things in my jacket as well…._

Standing up, she walked over to the door and peeped outside. Nothing but a few maids and the odd butler walking across the hall.

Stepping outside, she tapped a dark haired maid on the shoulder, surprised when she turned with a somewhat irritated expression on her face.

"Yes?" she asked curtly. A bit taken back, Kori gathered her courage.

"Um, could you please direct me to Richard? I seem to have misplace what little belongings I have brought…" She felt like shrinking under the annoyed stare of the maid, but eventually the deep green eyes took their stare off her and she sighed, lighter and less annoyed this time.

"Fine." She crossed the hall and pointed out the window. Kori followed and saw the two figures strolling along a path. Richard and… some girl.

A small frown of confusion appeared on her face, but she turned to her right to thank the maid. "Thank– huh?"

Looking around, the teenager was nowhere to be found.

After a few moments, Kori scurried down the hallway, attempting to make her way outside.

------------x

Jade glared at Roy. "I was busy."

Roy returned the look. "You were dusting. That hardly qualifies as– "

"Can you just get to the point?" she interrupted, already aggravated.

Roy sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "All week, you've been getting sick. I want you to see a doctor," he ordered firmly.

She looked confused and angry at the same time. Roy restrained himself from forgetting the conversation and just kissing her.

"Roy, it's just a bug or something. Things spread quickly here," she told him.

He gave her a look that told her he wasn't buying it. "Bruce keeps good working conditions around here. That's not it." He held her shoulders gently, not wanting to argue. "Please… do it for me?"

She looked down. "What will Mr. Wayne think when you take one of his maids for an appointment?"

Roy hadn't thought of that. "Well… I'll just ask if I can borrow you for a few hours, just like I did when I brought you to my home."

"Do you use that excuse for all the maids you bring home?" she asked, suddenly moody.

"What? I– no, I don't! I wouldn't bring someone home just to sle– "

Jade stopped him, just as she had earlier. "I understand. I'll go, okay? For you."

Roy looked relieved, glad she had complied so quickly. "Thank you. I'm promise, you'll be feeling better in no time."

A booming voice came from downstairs, calling Roy's name. The redhead made a face. "I've got to go, but I'll be back for the ball tonight. I promise." Kissing her lips chastely, he whispered, "I love you" and quickly exited and made his way down the hall.

Making sure Roy was out of sight, Jade ran down the hall and into the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet, she retched into it.

------------x

The two men settled into chairs, Jim folding his hands and looking over at Bruce.

"So… You wanted to ask me for something?" He watched Bruce nod, the other man's eyes serious.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about an engagement."

Jim looked confused. "Between our children?"

"Mm-hmm. I wanted to ask for permission for Richard to marry Barbara."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans, or… any other pop culture icons mentioned it this chapter. 

**Authoress' Note:** -dramatic music plays-

That last bit with Jim and Bruce wasn't something that I had in mind when I started it, but then I was thinking of Strat's friend Helen (or whatever) from Both Sides of Time and her engagement to that gross dude and I thought it'd be yet another twist. How will Richard get out of it? I don't know. (No, seriously, I haven't thought of it yet. ; )

There is something VERY IMPORTANT in this chapter, which was Michael Jon Carter. That's Booster Gold's alias. I would've used Skeets', because he's the one who actually did something to a crucial (I won't name who because that would explain the secret of the hourglass on the tree) person in this story, but Skeets is just… Skeets. OO

Bruce talking in Tamerainian… he was just seeing if Kori was telling the truth. Basically he was asking how the weather was on her trip. nn;

Xavier's encounter with the "Carter" is going to be in the next chapter; hint-y stuff next time. AND, how he becomes Red X and other cool stuff…

How long ago did I say there was going to be a ball…? A while ago, I guess. It _might_ be in the next chapter; I start typing and things end up getting longer than intended and I put if off… It'll probably be next chapter or the one after that. I KINDASORTA promise.

Hmm, been a long time since I've updated. Now I'm on summer break (and I got contacts ) and I've got band camp for the next week and a half, and some summer reading project to do, so the next time I get to posting the next chapter will be… a while from now. Dx Sorry.

Let's see, I think I've covered everything… Oh, wait. Can anyone guess what's wrong with Jade? It's kind of obvious, if you know what happened between her and Roy in the comics. xDD I just gave it away, didn't I?

And thanks to all who reviewed! ;D You guys are awesome. -hands out Batcookies to reviewers-

**Up next chapter: **Kori and Barbara meet each other, and Richard is unaware of the arrangements between he and Barbara. Roy sets up a doctor appointment while the rest of the house is decorating. Xavier thinks about his meeting with Carter and formulates a plan, which involves investigating the Grayson's house and tries a "chemical supplement" that will help him in the athletic department and starts down a long, twisted road to Kori. Later that night, Galfore is told Kori is missing and the three friends try to calm him down.

No Babs bashing please, I rather like her. I'm slowly warming to Batgirl/Robin, but I still like Rob/Star too, don't worry. nn  
- Christine


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